Reactive surfactants in heterophase polymerization: Colloidal properties, film‐water absorption, and surfactant exudation

In this article the results obtained with latexes prepared by emulsion polymerization with a conventional surfactant and a polymerizable surfactant (surfmer) are presented. For this study, well‐defined styrene‐butylacrylate latexes with a conventional nonreactive surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) and a maleate diester surfmer, of which films can be easily cast, were used. The latex with the surfmer was prepared following a surfmer addition strategy to maximize the amount of surfmer bound to the particle surface, and not buried in the particle interior. The latex properties in terms of mechanical stability, film‐water absorption, and film‐surfactant exudation were assessed and compared. The mechanical stability and water‐absorption properties of the latex prepared with surfmer were better than those of the latex with sodium dodecyl sulfate. Additionally, by using a surfmer the surfactant migration to the film‐substrate and film‐air interfaces can be inhibited.