Effect of a coalescing aid on the earliest stages of polymer diffusion in poly(butyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate42. Influence of Ethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol on Polymer Diffusion in Poly(butyl acrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) Latex Films.

W. F. SCHROEDER, Y. LIU, J. P. TOMBA, M. SOLEIMANI, W. LAU, M. A. WINNIK

POLYMER

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2011 vol. 52 p. 3984 - 3993

0032-3861

In this article we use fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to investigate how a classic coalescing aid, such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate (Texanol
) (TX), acts on the earliest stages of polymer diffusion as the latex film is still drying. In our approach, we temporarily arrest the drying process of a partially wet latex film by sealing it in an airtight chamber previously cooled to near the latex Tg. At these conditions, we are able to effectively stop the drying process and the polymer diffusion. FRET measurements at various locations on such a sample provide us information about the mechanism operating at the initial stages of polymer diffusion as the latex film is still drying. We complete our study with FRET measurements carried out at longer aging times on predried latex films.Our results show that TX promotes polymer diffusion from the initial stages of latex particle consolidation during a brief period of time that takes place immediately after passing of the drying front. We analyze our diffusion data in terms of the free volume theory and propose a mechanism that can account for the results obtained.