Fluorinated Acrylate Block Copolymers for Low Dynamic Surface Tension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current substrate wetting and anti-cratering agents for coatings, inks, and adhesives often form environmentally persistent degradation products like perfluoro-octanoic acid, and struggle to achieve low dynamic surface tension, especially in high solids and high-speed coating processes.
Innovation Solution
A block copolymer comprising blocks A and B, where block A includes monomers from (meth)acrylic acid, esters, or vinyl aromatic compounds, and block B features fluorinated (meth)acrylic ester or alpha-olefin units, is used to reduce dynamic surface tension without forming persistent degradation products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If long chain perfluoro chemicals (C8 and longer) are used as anti-cratering and leveling agents, then substrate wetting and leveling performance is improved, but environmentally persistent degradation products like perfluoro-octanoic acid are formed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chain length parameter of perfluorinated groups from C8 and longer to C4-C6, which maintains the surface tension reduction capability while preventing the formation of persistent degradation products like perfluoro-octanoic acid. This parameter modification resolves the contradiction between performance and environmental persistence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fluorinated groups at specific local positions within the polymer structure (in blocks B and C) rather than using fully perfluorinated long chains. This localized fluorination provides the necessary surface activity for wetting and leveling while avoiding the environmental persistence issues associated with long chain perfluoro chemicals.
2Manufacturing precision
If commercially available additives are used for substrate wetting and anti-cratering, then low viscosity coating formulations achieve sufficient wetting and leveling, but high solids coatings and high speed coating processes cannot achieve low dynamic surface tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses block copolymers with specific architectures (blocks A, B, and C with different functionalities) to create a composite molecular structure. Block B contains perfluorinated groups for surface activity, while blocks A and C provide solubility and processability. This composite structure enables the additive to function effectively in both low viscosity and high solids coatings, as well as in high-speed coating processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the molecular architecture parameters by creating block copolymers with controlled block lengths and compositions. This allows tuning of both the surface activity (for low dynamic surface tension) and the processability (for high solids and high-speed applications), resolving the contradiction between wetting performance and applicability to demanding coating processes.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If perfluorinated units are reduced to improve degradation properties, then environmental persistence decreases, but dynamic surface tension reduction effect decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the parameter of perfluorinated chain length to C4-C6, which is the critical threshold that maintains sufficient surface activity for dynamic surface tension reduction while being short enough to avoid forming persistent degradation products. This precise parameter control resolves the contradiction between environmental persistence and surface tension reduction effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite block copolymer structure where perfluorinated blocks (B and C) are combined with non-fluorinated blocks (A). This composite structure concentrates the fluorinated groups at specific locations, maximizing their surface activity and dynamic surface tension reduction effect while using minimal amounts of perfluorinated units, thereby avoiding environmental persistence issues.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The block copolymer effectively reduces dynamic surface tension in coating, ink, and adhesive compositions, providing smooth and uniform films while avoiding environmentally harmful byproducts.
Implementation Method 1
The addition of substrate wetting and anti cratering additives reduces both the dynamic and static surface tension of the liquid coating, leading to smoother film formation
Implementation Method 2
substrate wetting and anti cratering additives reduces both the dynamic and static surface tension of the liquid coating
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to a composition, comprising a binder resin, a block copolymer which comprises at least a block A and a block B, wherein the block A comprises monomer units derived from a compound selected from (meth)acrylic acid, a (meth)acrylic acid ester, a (meth)acrylamide, a vinyl aromatic compound, or any mixture thereof, the block B comprises monomer units derived from a compound selected from a fluorinated (meth)acrylic ester having the following formula (I): H2C=C(R1)(C(0)ORF-1), wherein R1 is H or methyl; and RF-1 is an organic residue containing a perfluorinated C4-6 alkyl group, a fluorinated alpha-olefm having the following formula (II): H2C=CH(RF-2) (II) wherein RF-2 is an organic residue containing a perfluorinated C4-6 alkyl group, i.e. -(CF2)3-5-CF3 or any mixture thereof.