Block-random copolymers as stabilizers in emulsion polymerization

水性涂料、密封剂、油漆和粘合剂是溶剂型产品的环保替代品，毒性更低，对环境的有害排放更少，并降低了人类暴露于有害蒸汽的风险。尽管与溶剂型产品相比，水性乳液具有显著的优势，但它们也不是没有问题。其中一个问题是“表面活性剂”或“稳定剂”（产品的重要组成部分，在确保乳胶作为悬浮在水中的离散颗粒存在方面起着关键作用）从乳胶中迁移出来的趋势。表面活性剂最终会进入环境，例如，如果产品是外部涂料，或者如果产品是产品标签上的粘合剂，它可能会导致人类接触。巴斯夫是一家在加拿大拥有重要制造业务的全球性公司，目前正与女王大学合作开发一种新型稳定剂，旨在克服现有稳定剂材料的不足。这项研究的关键是设计出比传统表面活性剂或肥皂大得多的特殊设计分子；分子的一端会牢固地附着在颗粒上，从而阻止它们迁移到环境中。与此同时，分子或聚合物链的另一端必须满足一系列要求，以确保产品能够安全和经济地生产。皇后大学和巴斯夫的研究人员设计了一种满足这些要求的新型结构，现在将寻求更好地了解它们的基本行为和特性。我们的研究将帮助加拿大工业界解决新产品创新方面的挑战，开发对环境影响较小的新创新产品，并为他们提供训练有素的科学家，使他们保持国际竞争力。

Water-based coatings, sealants, paints and adhesives are environmentally friendly alternatives to solvent-based products, with lower toxicity, fewer harmful emissions to the environment and reduced risk to humans by exposure to harmful vapors. Despite their significant advantages compared to solvent-based products, water-based latexes are not without their concerns. One of the issues is the tendency for the "surfactant" or "stabilizer" (an essential component of the product that plays a critical role in ensuring the latexes exist as discrete particles suspended in water) to migrate out of the latex. The surfactant can end up in the environment if for example the product is an exterior paint, or it could result in human exposure if the product is for example an adhesive on produce labels. BASF, a global company with significant manufacturing operations in Canada is collaborating with Queen's University to develop a new type of stabilizer with the objective of overcoming deficiencies of existing stabilizer materials. The key to this research is the design of specially designed molecules that are much larger than traditional surfactants or soaps; one end of the molecule will strongly adhere to the particles, thereby preventing their migration to the environment. At the same time, the other end of the molecule or polymer chain, will have to fulfill a demanding set of properties to ensure the product can be manufactured safely and economically. Queen's and BASF researchers have designed a novel structure that meets these requirements, and will now seek to better understand their fundamental behaviour and properties. Our research will help Canadian industry address challenges in new product innovation, develop new innovative products with reduced environmental impact, and provide them with highly trained scientists with the skills required to remain internationally competitive.