Water-Soluble Polymer Adducts for Stable Low-pH Latex Coagulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of polyfunctional amine compounds as quick-setting additives in latex products is limited by their tendency to destabilize anionically-stabilized latex particles at pH levels below 10, requiring volatile amines that cause unpleasant odors and environmental concerns due to evaporation, restricting their application in various coating and adhesive applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of water-soluble polymers and polymeric adducts formed by reacting multifunctional amine compounds with epoxy compounds, which provide 1.3 to 3.8 reactive amine functional groups per epoxy functional group, offering stability at pH levels below 10 and maintaining transparency and viscosity stability over time, allowing for controlled coagulation during application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If polyfunctional amine compounds are used as quick-setting additives in latex products, then setting time is reduced, but the latex particles become destabilized at pH levels below 10
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical structure of polyfunctional amine compounds by converting them to polymeric adducts with specific molecular weights and functional group ratios. These structural parameter changes enable the additives to maintain latex particle stability at lower pH levels (below 10) while still providing quick-setting functionality, resolving the contradiction between setting speed and particle stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite polymeric adducts that combine polyfunctional amine compounds with other materials to form new hybrid structures. These composite materials exhibit both the quick-setting properties of polyfunctional amines and the stability characteristics needed for low-pH applications, allowing simultaneous achievement of fast setting and particle stability.
2Reliability
If volatile amines are added to maintain pH above 10 during storage, then latex particle stability is maintained, but unpleasant odors and environmental pollution occur due to evaporation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the volatile amine component from the system by developing polymeric adducts that provide pH stabilization without requiring volatile substances. The polymeric structure traps the basic functionality within a non-volatile framework, removing the harmful evaporation while maintaining the pH control needed for particle stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces long-term volatile amine additives with shorter-lived polymeric adducts that perform their pH maintenance function during storage and application but do not persist as volatile contaminants. These polymeric additives complete their stabilizing function and then remain as non-harmful residues, eliminating ongoing odor and pollution 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
These polymers and polymeric adducts enable stable latex products that maintain transparency and viscosity at low pH, facilitating faster setting times without the need for volatile amines, thus overcoming the limitations of conventional polyfunctional amine compounds and expanding their application scope.
Implementation Method 1
The decrease in pH triggers the coagulation of the latex particles in the applied coating composition, which results in a fast setting time
Implementation Method 2
When the latex product is applied onto a substrate, the volatile amine escapes or evaporates from the applied coating composition
Data Source
AI summary
A water soluble polymer or polymeric adduct has a backbone comprising a plurality of segments with amine functional groups and hydroxyl functional groups with a number average molecular weight of about 5.00 to 1,000,000 Daltons. The polymeric adduct may be formed as an addition product by reacting at least one multifunctional amine compound reacted with a one or more polyfunctional epoxy compounds and/or one or more monofunctional epoxy compounds, such that there are 1.3 to 3.8 reactive amine functional groups per reactive epoxy functional group. An aqueous solution of the polymer or polymeric adduct has a viscosity of about 100 centipoise to 100,000 centipoise and a pH value of about 8 to 12 when the solution comprises 70 wt. % of the polymer or polymeric adduct dissolved in water. The polymeric adducts are useful fast setting additives for emulsions due to excellent stability when blended with anionically stabilized latex.