Dibutyl Itaconate and Lauryl Methacrylate Copolymers by Emulsion Polymerization for Development of Sustainable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives

Carlos Rafael Casas-Soto; Alain Salvador Conejo-Dávila; Velia Osuna; David Chávez-Flores; José Carlos Espinoza-Hicks; Sergio Gabriel Flores-Gallardo; Alejandro Vega-Rios

doi:10.3390/polym14030632

Dibutyl Itaconate and Lauryl Methacrylate Copolymers by Emulsion Polymerization for Development of Sustainable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives

Polymers (Basel). 2022 Feb 7;14(3):632. doi: 10.3390/polym14030632.

Authors

Carlos Rafael Casas-Soto¹, Alain Salvador Conejo-Dávila¹, Velia Osuna², David Chávez-Flores³, José Carlos Espinoza-Hicks³, Sergio Gabriel Flores-Gallardo¹, Alejandro Vega-Rios¹

Affiliations

¹ Departament of Engineering and Materials Chemistry, Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados, SC, Miguel de Cervantes No. 120, Chihuahua C.P. 31136, Mexico.
² Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT)-Centro de Investigación en Materiales Avanzados, SC (CIMAV), Miguel de Cervantes No. 120, Chihuahua C.P. 31136, Mexico.
³ Facultad de Ciencias en Química, Universidad Autonóma de Chihuahua, Chihuahua C.P. 31125, Mexico.

Abstract

Renewable polymers possess the potential to replace monomers from petrochemical sources. The design and development of polymeric materials from sustainable materials are a technological challenge. The main objectives of this study were to study the microstructure of copolymers based on itaconic acid (IA), di-n-butyl itaconate (DBI), and lauryl methacrylate (LMA); and to explore and to evaluate these copolymers as pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA). The copolymer synthesis was carried out through batch emulsion radical polymerization, an environmentally friendly process. IA was used in a small fixed amount as a functional comonomer, and LMA was selected due to low glass transition temperature (T_g). The structure of synthesized copolymers was studied by FTIR, ¹H-NMR, Soxhlet extraction, and molecular weight analyses by GPC. Furthermore, the viscoelastic and thermal properties of copolymer films were characterized by DMA, DSC, and TGA. The single T_g displayed by the poly(DBI-LMA-IA) terpolymers indicates that statistical random composition copolymers were obtained. Moreover, FTIR and NMR spectra confirm the chemical structure and composition. It was found that a cross-linked microstructure and higher molecular weight are observed with an increase of LMA in the feed led. The T_g and modulus (G') of the copolymers film can be tuned with the ratio of DBI:LMA providing a platform for a wide range of applications as a biobased alternative to produce waterborne PSA.

Keywords: di-n-butyl itaconate; emulsion polymerization; itaconic acid; lauryl methacrylate; pressure-sensitive adhesives; renewable monomers; sustainable polymers.