Alkali-soluble resins (ASRs) are a type of electrosteric emulsifiers of high interest because they can profitably improve the features of waterborne dispersions. In this work, they have been synthesized in-situ through a one-pot approach and they have been used as polymeric surfactants for a second emulsion polymerization step in the same reactor. This strategy provides some advantages compared to other polymerization techniques, like the intensification of the process and the absence of organic solvents. Their use can also further reduce the environmental impact of formulations for film-forming applications, since grafting reactions with the particles have been observed and quantified in relation with the synthetic parameters. These chemical linkages with the particles may reduce the leaching and the release of surfactants from polymeric films, for example in water-based coatings or adhesives. The systems have been also studied from the kinetics point of view, finding relevant differences with other electrosterically stabilized processes from the literature, as well as concerns the nucleation mechanism.
Keywords: alkali-soluble resin; coating; electrosteric stabilizer; emulsion polymerization; grafting.