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Influence of the particle size and particle size ratio on the morphology and viscoelastic properties of bimodal hard/soft latex blends

Colombini, Didier LU ; Hassander, Helen LU ; Karlsson, Ola LU and Maurer, Frans LU (2004) In Macromolecules 37(18). p.6865-6873
Abstract
The morphology and viscoelastic properties of films prepared from bimodal latex blends containing equal weight fractions of soft and hard latex particles were investigated as a function of the particle sizes and the particle size ratio (soft particle diameter/hard particle diameter). Minimum film formation temperature (MFT) measurements were associated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to emphasize the particle size ratio dependence of the film formation properties. A significant increase of the MFT values with the soft/hard particle size ratio was observed. As long as the particle size ratio was low, TEM micrographs showed that the film forming soft particles, undergoing complete coalescence, clearly act as the continuous phase... (More)
The morphology and viscoelastic properties of films prepared from bimodal latex blends containing equal weight fractions of soft and hard latex particles were investigated as a function of the particle sizes and the particle size ratio (soft particle diameter/hard particle diameter). Minimum film formation temperature (MFT) measurements were associated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to emphasize the particle size ratio dependence of the film formation properties. A significant increase of the MFT values with the soft/hard particle size ratio was observed. As long as the particle size ratio was low, TEM micrographs showed that the film forming soft particles, undergoing complete coalescence, clearly act as the continuous phase where the non film forming hard particles are found evenly dispersed while keeping their initial spherical shape. At higher values of the particle size ratio, TEM micrographs pointed out that the soft particles are prevented from coming into contact with each other by the surrounding hard particles, therefore dramatically increasing the MFT of the sample and resulting in a non film forming latex blend. The existence of a critical volume fraction of hard particles that is directly related to the soft/hard particle size ratio was then established on the basis of geometrical arguments involving the percolation theory. The higher the particle size ratio, the lower the critical volume fraction of hard particles that leads to a macroscopic phase inversion resulting in a non film forming bimodal latex blend. Subsequently, the mechanical film properties were investigated by solid-state dynamic mechanical analysis. The size of the dispersed hard phase was found to affect the final viscoelastic film properties. The smaller the size of the hard particles, the better the mechanical enhancement of the mechanical film properties. Last, the experimental viscoelastic thermograms were compared with some theoretical predictions based on self-consistent mechanical modeling. The final film properties of the bimodal hard/soft latex blends were then directly connected to the film formation properties. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Macromolecules
volume
37
issue
18
pages
6865 - 6873
publisher
The American Chemical Society (ACS)
external identifiers
  • wos:000223677600032
  • scopus:4544223635
ISSN
0024-9297
DOI
10.1021/ma030455j
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Polymer and Materials Chemistry (LTH) (011001041), Department of Chemistry (011001220)
id
f687b6bf-3b5d-4b8c-9a0d-32a4f7c86527 (old id 139509)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:53:35
date last changed
2022-01-26 19:48:17
@article{f687b6bf-3b5d-4b8c-9a0d-32a4f7c86527,
  abstract     = {{The morphology and viscoelastic properties of films prepared from bimodal latex blends containing equal weight fractions of soft and hard latex particles were investigated as a function of the particle sizes and the particle size ratio (soft particle diameter/hard particle diameter). Minimum film formation temperature (MFT) measurements were associated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to emphasize the particle size ratio dependence of the film formation properties. A significant increase of the MFT values with the soft/hard particle size ratio was observed. As long as the particle size ratio was low, TEM micrographs showed that the film forming soft particles, undergoing complete coalescence, clearly act as the continuous phase where the non film forming hard particles are found evenly dispersed while keeping their initial spherical shape. At higher values of the particle size ratio, TEM micrographs pointed out that the soft particles are prevented from coming into contact with each other by the surrounding hard particles, therefore dramatically increasing the MFT of the sample and resulting in a non film forming latex blend. The existence of a critical volume fraction of hard particles that is directly related to the soft/hard particle size ratio was then established on the basis of geometrical arguments involving the percolation theory. The higher the particle size ratio, the lower the critical volume fraction of hard particles that leads to a macroscopic phase inversion resulting in a non film forming bimodal latex blend. Subsequently, the mechanical film properties were investigated by solid-state dynamic mechanical analysis. The size of the dispersed hard phase was found to affect the final viscoelastic film properties. The smaller the size of the hard particles, the better the mechanical enhancement of the mechanical film properties. Last, the experimental viscoelastic thermograms were compared with some theoretical predictions based on self-consistent mechanical modeling. The final film properties of the bimodal hard/soft latex blends were then directly connected to the film formation properties.}},
  author       = {{Colombini, Didier and Hassander, Helen and Karlsson, Ola and Maurer, Frans}},
  issn         = {{0024-9297}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{18}},
  pages        = {{6865--6873}},
  publisher    = {{The American Chemical Society (ACS)}},
  series       = {{Macromolecules}},
  title        = {{Influence of the particle size and particle size ratio on the morphology and viscoelastic properties of bimodal hard/soft latex blends}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ma030455j}},
  doi          = {{10.1021/ma030455j}},
  volume       = {{37}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}