Chapter 4 - Nanostructured waterborne acrylic coatings: thermomechanical properties enhancement by molecular jamming and confinement

Abstract

Waterborne polymeric coating technology has acquired special relevance because of environmental regulations which require low volatile organic compound coatings. The addition of inorganic nanoparticles has yielded hybrid coatings merging the easy production and processability of polymeric materials with the physical properties of inorganic fillers. Therefore, high-performance coatings with enhanced vapor and water-, solvent-, and fire resistance and higher mechanical properties can be produced, thus broadening the applications in diverse industries. However, it is known that the enhancement of physical properties is not realized in each case and it is clearly influenced by the nature of nanofiller. Recently, awareness has grown of the relevance of the state of confinement exerted on polymeric chains and possible nanoparticle–polymer interactions. This chapter discusses the degree of confinement defined by the geometry of the nanofiller and the consequences of 2D confinement on cooperative motions at the glass transition and mechanical reinforcement probed by calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis and on reptation dynamics as probed by the linear viscoelastic response.