ADVANCED POLYMER DESIGN FOR ADHESIVES [2007]

2007 Dahlquist Award Winner

Cornelis Beyers, Dr, BASF-AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
Stefan Kirsch, Dr, BASF-AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
Petra Schšcker, Dr, BASF-AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
Dieter Urban, Dr, BASF-AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
 

Acrylic polymers for pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) are known for a long time. Polyacrylates with a specific monomer composition can be used as PSA without additional compounding or formulation. The application properties of polyacrylates adhesives are therefore mainly achieved through the polymer properties. More accurately, the film properties of the polymer determine the application properties of such adhesives.

Polyacrylates can be synthesized through solution- and emulsion polymerisation, and can be applied as dispersion, solution or as reactive hotmelt. Films that are formed from solution and reactive hotmelts are mainly smooth and structure free, where as polymer films formed from dispersions have well-defined structures. An example of such structures can be seen in Figure 1. In Figure 1 an AFM picture of a mono-modal dispersion after drying for 3 minutes at 90¡C and then cryo cut is shown. The boundary areas of the former polymer particles are clearly seen, even though the film was completely dried. The question arises whether these structures that are found influence our adhesive properties and if so, can we control these structures, that is to say, the application properties.

见：http://www.pstc.org/files/public/Beyers07.pdf