Polymerization Of Acrylic Acid Research Articles

Overproduction of 3-hydroxypropionate in a super yeast chassis

3-Hydroxypropionate (3-HP) is a platform chemical for production of acrylic acid, acrylamide and biodegradable polymers. Several microbial cell factories have been constructed for production of 3-HP from malonyl-CoA by using a malonyl-CoA reductase, which however suffer from inadequate supply of precursor and cofactor. Here 3-HP biosynthesis was optimized in a super yeast chassis with sufficient supply of precursor malonyl-CoA and cofactor NADPH, which had a 3-fold higher 3-HP (1.4 g/L) than that of wild-type background. The instability of the engineered strain was observed in fed-batch fermentation due to the plasmid loss, which may be caused by the toxic intermediate malonate semialdehyde. Genome integration of MCR-C encoding C-terminal of MCR enabled stable gene expression and much higher 3-HP production of 4.4 g/L under batch fermentation and 56.5 g/L under fed-batch fermentation with a yield of 0.31 g/g glucose. This was the highest 3-HP production reported from glucose in engineered microbes.

Bioinspired Design of High Vibration-Damping Supramolecular Elastomers Based on Multiple Energy-Dissipation Mechanisms.

Suppressing vibrations and noises is essential for our automated society. Here, inspired by the hierarchical dynamic bonds and phase separation of mussel byssal threads, we synthesize high-damping supramolecular elastomers (HDEs) via simple one-pot radical polymerization of butyl acrylate (BA), acrylic acid (AA), and vinylimidazole (VI). Interestingly, AA and VI not only form hydrogen bonds and ionic bonds simultaneously but also segregate into aggregates of different sizes, thereby successfully mimicking the hierarchical structure of mussel byssal threads. When applying external forces, the weak hydrogen bonds are broken at first and then the ionic bonds and aggregates are disrupted progressively from small to large deformations. Such multiple energy-dissipation mechanisms lead to the outstanding damping property of the HDEs. Therefore, the HDEs outperform commercially available rubbers in terms of sound absorption and vibration damping. Furthermore, the multiple energy-dissipation mechanisms impart the HDEs with high toughness (41.1 MJ/m3), tensile strength (21.3 MPa), and self-healing ability.

IR-initiated preparation method of high performance nanofiltration membranes using graft polymerization of acrylic acid onto polyacrylonitrile surface

IR-initiated preparation method of high performance nanofiltration membranes using graft polymerization of acrylic acid onto polyacrylonitrile surface

Study of viscoelastic, sorption and mucoadhesive properties of selected polymer blends for biomedical applications

Oral mucoadhesive dosage formulations reveal numerous advantages they offer, like easy application, discrete handling and no need to swallow the drug product. Nevertheless, in order to ensure correct performance of these preparations, they must show suitable physicochemical properties, such as sorption and wetting, viscosity and adhesion to mucous membrane. In this study, the physicochemical properties of selected mucoadhesive polymers and their blends composed of acrylic acid polymers (Carbopol 974P NF, Noveon AA-1), cellulose derivatives (HEC, HPMC) and film-forming polymer (Kollidon VA 64) were examined. The tested formulations have been analyzed by techniques, such as flow rheometry, oscillatory rheometry and liquid penetration method. Moreover, the mucoadhesive strength of the investigated formulations was measured with the use of a texture analyzer. The tests have shown that the blends of anionic and nonionic polymers show significantly worse adhesive properties than the discs containing only Carbopol 974P NF or Noveon AA-1.

Cross-Linked, Transient Ionic Conductive Elastomer with Extreme Stretchability, Healability, and Degradability for Detecting Human Motions

The fabrication of solvent-free ionic conductive elastomers with high stretchability and degradability is highly desired yet challenging now. Here, solvent-free ionic conductive elastomers were fabricated by the polymerization of acrylic acid (AA)/1-vinylimidazole (IM)-type deep eutectic solvent. An ion pair between AA and IM was formed in the deep eutectic solvent during fabrication. Dynamic bonding including hydrogen bonding and ionic bonding between AA and IM attracted the polymeric chain crosslinking into a liquid-free polymer elastomer without extra cross-linkers. As-prepared conductive elastomers exhibit high transparency (91.4%), ultrahigh stretchability (1464%), fast autonomous self-healing, and degradability. Furthermore, the deep eutectic solvent-based elastomers could be easily attached to human skin and human activities could be detected with high sensitivity. The resulting ionic conductive elastomer with transparency, adhesiveness, self-healing ability, and degradation would meet the Sustainable Development Goals and have potential applications for wearable devices.

Triblock Superabsorbent Polymer Nanocomposites with Enhanced Water Retention Capacities and Rheological Characteristics.

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are useful polymers in a wide range of application fields ranging from the hygiene industry to construction and agriculture. As versatility and high water absorption capacity are their important merits, SAPs usually suffer from low water retention capacity (fast release) and weak mechanical properties. To address these drawbacks, a set of new superabsorbent polymer–Halloysite nanotube (HNT) nanocomposites was synthesized via free radical polymerization of acrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonic acid, and acrylic acid in the presence of vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) as the crosslinker. FTIR and TGA characterizations confirm the polymerization of SAP and successful incorporation of HNTs into the SAP polymer matrix. The effect of the HNT nanofiller amount in the nanocomposite polymer matrix was investigated with swelling–release performance tests, crosslink density calculations, and rheology measurements. It was found that equilibrium swelling ratios are correlated and therefore can be tuned via the crosslink densities of nanocomposites, while water retention capacities are governed by storage moduli. A maximum swelling of 537 g/g was observed when 5 wt % HNT was incorporated, in which the crosslink density is the lowest. Among the SAP nanocomposites prepared, the highest storage modulus was observed when 1 wt % of nanofiller was incorporated, which coincides with the nanocomposite with the longest water retention. The water release duration of SAPs was prolonged up to 27 days with 1% HNT addition in parallel with the achieved maximum storage modulus. Finally, three different incorporation mechanisms of the HNT nanofiller into the SAP nanocomposite structure were proposed and confirmed with rheology measurements. This study provides a rapid synthesis method for SAP nanocomposites with enhanced water retention capacities and explains the relationship between swelling and crosslink density and water retention and mechanical properties of SAP nanocomposites.

Interpenetrating Polymer Network Hydrogels Formed Using Antibiotics as a Dynamic Crosslinker for Treatment of Infected Wounds.

Antibacterial hydrogels, particularly antibiotic-loaded hydrogels, are promising wound dressing materials for treatment of bacteria-infected wound. However, it is challenging to achieve sustained release of antibiotics from hydrogels through physical encapsulation of the antibiotics. Herein, an interpenetrating polymer network P(AA-co-HEMA)Gen hydrogel is reported with double crosslinking formed by free radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and acrylic acid (AA), while using the antibiotic gentamicin (Gen) as the dynamic physical crosslinker. Gentamicin is incorporated into the hydrogel networks via electrostatic interaction between the carboxyl groups of poly(acrylic acid) and the amino groups of gentamicin, which leads to pH-responsive drug release and a significant increase in mechanical strength (i.e., elastic modulus, viscous modulus, and compressive modulus). More importantly, the hydrogels with optimal compositions demonstrate long-lasting antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) over 28 d. The in vivo studies that are conducted in an S. aureus-infected full-thickness skin wound model demonstrate that thedouble crosslinking hydrogelsloadedwith gentamicin eliminate bacteria in the wounds more effectively and significantly accelerate wound healing as compared to 3M dressing and the control without any treatment. Taken together, this antibiotic-loaded interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel is potentially a promising wound dressing material for the treatment of bacteria-infected wound.

Direct ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of breast cancer biomarker-miRNA-21 employing an aptasensor based on a microgel nanoparticle composite

Breast cancer is a common disease with high morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. Serum miRNA-21 expression is higher in breast cancer patients and can be employed as a predictor for early breast cancer diagnosis. There is an urgent need for a sensitive, convenient and cost-effective biosensor to assist in the direct diagnosis of breast cancer through clinical biomarkers. In this article, a highly sensitive microgel nanocomposite-based electrochemical aptasensor is prepared for the detection of miRNA-21. The microgel particles of gold nanoparticles are wrapped in a mixture of acrylic acid (AAc) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) polymerization. This leads to a porous network structure which can provide a highly biocompatible and anti-fouling microenvironment, similar to that of aqueous biological tissue for RNA capture reaction. Complementary to miRNA-21, an amino-modified oligonucleotide chain capture probe is covalently immobilized on the microgel material, while the hybridization of miRNA-21 with the capture probe is monitored by different pulse voltammetry (DPV). The sensing platform can directly and accurately detect target miRNAs in serum without sample preparation and purification. The concentration response of the aptasensor presents a linear range of 10 aM to 1 pM as well as a detection limit of 1.35 aM. The aptasensor also exhibits noticeable selectivity, stability and reproducibility. Simultaneously, we successfully apply this method to the subsequent detection of serum miRNA-21 in 2 breast cancer patients before treatment and after recovery respectively. The consequence proves that the method has promising potential applications in the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer patients.

Introducing a new approach to preparing bionanocomposite sponges based on poly(glycerol sebacate urethane) (PGSU) with great interconnectivity and high hydrophilicity properties for application in tissue engineering

In this study, a three-dimensional porous structure of poly(glycerol sebacate urethane) (PGSU) comprising nano-clay and polyacrylic acid (PAAc) was synthesized through a two-step synthesis route. Particulate leaching technique by introducing spun sugar as porogen was also performed as a fabrication method. It was hypothesized that the introduction of spun sugar with its filamentous shape would create interrelated pores required for cell adhesion and proliferation. Polarity, stiffness, and swelling capacity of PGSU would be enhanced by eco-friendly in-situ polymerization of PAAc and the contribution of biocompatible nanoclay. After characterizing the synthesis of PGSU-based scaffolds, viscoelastic behavior, hydrophilicity, and biocompatibility of scaffolds were evaluated. Doubling of swelling capacity in dry state and decrement of water contact angle (WCA) approved the effect of polar carboxyl groups of PAAc in the improvement of polarity and hydrophilicity of PGSU. DMTA results in dry and wet states demonstrated that increasing the concentration of nanoclay and the presence of PAAc chains led to the increase in the storage modulus while the elastic behavior at body temperature was preserved. Eventually, the feasibility of the porous structure of PGSU-based scaffolds in tissue engineering became clear by in vitro biocompatibility test and significant cell adhesion in plasma-treated PGSU/PAAC/nanoclay. Accordingly, introducing clay nanoparticles and in-situ polymerization of acrylic acid, together with porous structure, make PGSU a suitable substrate for cellular interactions.

Highly stretchable, durable, and transient conductive hydrogel for multi-functional sensor and signal transmission applications

Conductive hydrogel has attracted immersive attentions as the most promising candidate for the fabrication of next-generation wearable and soft electronics due to its diverse characteristics. However, simultaneously embodying integrated characteristics, including mechanical durability, electrical sensitivity, environmental stability, and disintegration after service, into a single hydrogel system is still a grand challenge. This work proposed an interfacial engineering strategy to fabricate a transient conductive hydrogel with well-balanced properties, addressing the long-lasting issue of interfacial incompatibility between solid conductive fillers and soft polymer matrix. Using TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) as the interfacial stabilizer, a stable CNF encapsulated liquid metal nanoparticles (LMNPs) is synthesized, which can initiate free-radical polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) monomers, forming an entirely physically crosslinked PAA-CNF-LMNPs hydrogel. This hydrogel features several advantages that have not been realized in a single hydrogel, including, environmentally friendly fabrication without addition of chemical initiators and crosslinkers, superb stretchability, satisfied solvent independent conductivity, high strain sensing sensitivity, stable signal transmission, as well as crack insensitive, self-healing, anti-freezing, and transient properties. Owing to these all-round superb properties, this resultant hydrogel is considered a sustainable, durable, and high-performance platform for soft and wearable electronics.

Preparation of Hemicellulose Nanoparticle-Containing Ionic Hydrogels with High Strength, Self-Healing, and UV Resistance and Their Applications as Strain Sensors and Asymmetric Pressure Sensors.

Smart functional fillers can significantly enhance the comprehensive properties of ionic hydrogels, such as their mechanical properties, which are key features of hydrogels in wearable sensor applications. As a plant-derived natural polymer, hemicellulose can serve as smart functional fillers. In this study, tannic acid-modified hemicellulose nanoparticles (TA@HC) and Fe3+ were used in the preparation of PAA/TA@HC/Fe3+ hydrogels. The addition of TA@HC and Fe3+ in the sodium persulfate (SPS) and acrylic acid (AA) polymerization system resulted in a fast gelation process that was completed within a short time (as short as 30 s) at room temperature. The catechol-rich TA and Fe3+ system allows for quick activation of SPS to produce free radicals, generating abundant hydroxyl groups in a short period of time, which was responsible for the fast gelation. Furthermore, due to the TA@HC effect and the dynamic catechol (TA)-Fe3+ redox system, the PAA/TA@HC/Fe3+ hydrogel exhibited excellent mechanical properties with an exceptionally high strain (as high as 5600%), adhesiveness, rapid and efficient self-healing ability, and reproducible self-adhesion onto various substrates. More importantly, asymmetric adhesive PAA/TA@HC/Fe3+ hydrogels were prepared by selective Fe3+ coating of the upper hydrogel surface to render the top surface nonadhesive so that the same hydrogel with different adhesiveness between the upper and bottom surfaces was obtained. The asymmetric adhesive hydrogel design permits the adhesive side to fit comfortably to the skin and the nonadhesive side showing anti-interference against various different pollutant materials, accurately serving as a pressure sensor.

Stretchable alkaline quasi-solid-state electrolytes created by super-tough, fatigue-resistant and alkali-resistant multi-bond network hydrogels

Hydrogel-based quasi-solid-state electrolytes (Q-SSEs) swollen with electrolyte solutions are important components in stretchable supercapacitors and other wearable devices. This work fabricates a super-tough, fatigue-resistant, and alkali-resistant multi-bond network (MBN) hydrogel aiming to be an alkaline Q-SSE. To synthesize the hydrogel, a 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidone (UPy) motif is introduced into a poly(acrylic acid) polymer chain. The obtained MBN hydrogels with 75 wt% water content exhibit tensile strength as high as 2.47 MPa, which is enabled by the large energy dissipation ability originated from the dissociation of UPy dimers due to their high bond association energy. Owing to the high dimerization constant of UPy motifs, the dissociated UPy motifs are able to partially re-associate soon after being released from external forces, resulting in excellent fatigue-resistance. More importantly, the MBN hydrogels exhibit excellent alkali-resistance ability. The UPyGel-10 swollen with 1 mol/L KOH display a tensile strength as high as ∼1.0 MPa with elongation at break of ∼550%. At the same time, they show ionic conductivity of ∼17 mS/cm, which do not decline even when the hydrogels are stretched to 500% strain. The excellent mechanical property and ionic conductivity of the present hydrogels demonstrate potential application as a stretchable alkaline Q-SSE.

РАЗРАБОТКА ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННОЙ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ПРОИЗВОДСТВА ВЫСОКОЧИСТОЙ ГЕЛЕОБРАЗНОЙ ВОДНОЙ ПОЛИАКРИЛОВОЙ КИСЛОТЫ (ПАК)

Guided by theoretical ideas about the laws of radical chain polymerization processes, work was carried out to study the influence of the parameters and conditions of aquatic polymerization of acrylic acid on the suitability of its polymer for therapeutic dentistry. These studies served as the basis for the development and patenting of the domestic technology for the production of a ~ 40 % aquatic gel-like solution of PAA, which is widely used both in Russia and abroad for the production of dental filling composites, and thus successfully solved the issue of import substitution and avoided various manipulation sanctions.
 The patented domestic technology for the production of a 40 % gel-like preparation of polyacrylic acid consists of 3 stages.
 1. Dissolving 1.5 kg of maleic anhydride and 0.6 kg of initiator α,α'-azoisobutyronitrile in 32.5 kg of freshly distilled acrylic acid.
 2. Tide polymerization of the prepared mixture in 120 liters of solvent water at a temperature of 93-98 ℃ for 4.5– 5 hours.
 3. Concentration of the resulting ~20 % PAA solution under vacuum (residual pressure 0.8–0.015 MPa), at a temperature 65-90 ℃ to obtain a standard 40 % commercial preparation of polyacrylic acid.

Dose–response relationship of pulmonary disorders by inhalation exposure to cross-linked water-soluble acrylic acid polymers in F344 rats

BackgroundIn Japan, six workers handling cross-linked water-soluble acrylic acid polymer (CWAAP) at a chemical plant suffered from lung diseases, including fibrosis, interstitial pneumonia, emphysema, and pneumothorax. We recently demonstrated that inhalation of CWAAP-A, one type of CWAAP, causes pulmonary disorders in rats. It is important to investigate dose–response relationships and recoverability from exposure to CWAAPs for establishing occupational health guidelines, such as setting threshold limit value for CWAAPs in the workplace.MethodsMale and female F344 rats were exposed to 0.3, 1, 3, or 10 mg/m3 CWAAP-A for 6 h/day, 5 days/week for 13 weeks using a whole-body inhalation exposure system. At 1 h, 4 weeks, and 13 weeks after the last exposure the rats were euthanized and blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and all tissues including lungs and mediastinal lymph nodes were collected and subjected to biological and histopathological analyses. In a second experiment, male rats were pre-treated with clodronate liposome or polymorphonuclear leukocyte-neutralizing antibody to deplete macrophages or neutrophils, respectively, and exposed to CWAAP-A for 6 h/day for 2 days.ResultsCWAAP-A exposure damaged only the alveoli. The lowest observed adverse effect concentration (LOAEC) was 1 mg/m3 and the no observed adverse effect concentration (NOAEC) was 0.3 mg/m3. Rats of both sexes were able to recover from the tissue damage caused by 13 weeks exposure to 1 mg/m3 CWAAP-A. In contrast, tissue damage caused by exposure to 3 and 10 mg/m3 was irreversible due to the development of interstitial lung lesions. There was a gender difference in the recovery from CWAAP-A induced pulmonary disorders, with females recovering less than males. Finally, acute lung effects caused by CWAAP-A were significantly reduced by depletion of alveolar macrophages.ConclusionsPulmonary damage caused by inhalation exposure to CWAAP-A was dose-dependent, specific to the lung and lymph nodes, and acute lung damage was ameliorated by depleting macrophages in the lungs. CWAAP-A had both a LOAEC and a NOAEC, and tissue damage caused by exposure to 1 mg/m3 CWAAP-A was reversible: recovery in female rats was less than for males. These findings indicate that concentration limits for CWAAPs in the workplace can be determined.Graphical

High-strain sensitive zwitterionic hydrogels with swelling-resistant and controllable rehydration for sustainable wearable sensor

The irrecoverability of mechanical strength, conductivity and other properties after dehydration, has severely restricted the practical applications of hydrogels. To address this issue, here we report a P(AA-SMA-SBMA) zwitterionic copolymer-based hydrogel with anti-swelling, high mechanical property and reusability after dehydration/hydration process by polymerization of acrylic acid (AA), octadecyl methacrylate (SMA) and sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA). The structures of the original hydrogels and that after dehydration/hydration cycles were characterized by SAXS, SEM, Raman, FT-IR, XRD, DSC and rheology, etc. It was proved that both the macroscopic properties and the micro-structures were maintained after several dehydration/hydration cycles, owing to the synergistic effects of hydrophobic and super-hydrophilic interaction in the 3D network structure. Moreover, the fabricated hydrogels possess high strain sensitivity which is applied to monitor both junction motion and subtle movement like breathing and pulse. In addition, such sensitivity of the hydrogel sensors could be maintained after several dehydration/hydration cycles or even sinking in water for over two months. This work provides a type of hydrogel material with stable properties after dehydration process by regulating hydrophobic and hydrophilic interaction, which is beneficial for the life-time and sustainability of hydrogel devises.

Hydrophilized Ultrafiltration Membranes Synthesized from Acrylic Acid Grafted Polyethersulfone for Downstream Processing of Therapeutic Insulin and Cobalamin

The present study focuses on synthesis of novel high-performance acrylic acid (AA) grafted polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for purification of small therapeutic biomolecules such as urea, insulin, and cobalamin. The membranes were indigenously synthesized by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) of 6 kDa M.Wt. as a pore former and subsequent grafting of AA using 2 to 6 wt.% concentrations under UV-induced photo grafting. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the PEG additive profoundly influences the pore density on the membrane surface. FTIR spectra confirm the graft polymerization of AA with the PES substrate. Separation performance of the grafted membranes was evaluated to establish the trade-off between the degree of grafting and MWCO. From the experimental results, the pure water flux (PWF) of 6% grafted PES membrane was enhanced from 8.5 (PES [0] [6]) to 18.20 l m−2 h−1 (PES [6 +] [6]) in the presence of PEG pore former, respectively. The grafting concentration window of 2–6% resulted in selective membranes to altogether remove uremic toxins into the permeate with retention of high molecular size proteins. Hence, 5 and 6 wt.% AA grafted membranes exhibited > 90% rejection for insulin and cobalamin biomolecules along with 24.5 and 23.8 l m−2 h−1 bar−1 permeability towards urea, respectively. The process results correlate well with the MWCO values of membranes ranging from 1 to 10 kDa. This work provides the efficacy of these grafted membranes for potential application in the downstream processing of therapeutic biomolecules such as insulin and cobalamin.

Redox-activity of polydopamine for ultrafast preparation of self-healing and adhesive hydrogels

The high adhesive property of polydopamine (PDA) has spurred various hydrogels for biological and medical applications. Herein, a dual-catalytic redox system was constructed by using the inner dynamic redox-activity of PDA and free radical initiator ammonium persulfate (APS) to initiate the polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) monomer to obtain Fe-PDA hydrogels within 2 h at room temperature. Fe-PDA NPs functions as both initiator to activate APS to generate free radicals and promotes the formation of the hydrogel and dynamic cross-linking mediator between the polymer chains. The tensile strength and ductility of the obtained hydrogels vary with the content of Fe-PDA NPs. Hydrogel with 0.15 wt% of Fe-PDA NPs has the highest tensile strength (~0.62 MPa) and hydrogel with 0.6 wt% of Fe-PDA NPs has the highest elongation, about ~650%. The introduction of PDA NPs imparts PAA hydrogel with reproducible adhesive properties and self-healing ability. The doped iron ion further endows hydrogel enhanced photothermal properties (up to 160 ℃ with 808 nm laser irradiation for 120 s) and conductivity.

Surface modification of polypropylene non-woven filter by O2 plasma/acrylic acid enhancing Prussian blue immobilization for aqueous cesium adsorption

Radioactive cesium is commonly emitted during nuclear accidents and Prussian blue (PB) is an effective adsorbent with superior selectivity toward cesium. This study describes the surface modification of a polypropylene non-woven filter (PP) as the supporting material for PB immobilization, which included O2 plasma treatment and acrylic acid (AA) modification. AA was successfully polymerized using O2 plasma to provide a reaction site for the polymerization. The carboxylic acid groups introduced by the polymerization of AA induced a higher amount of PB immobilization on the surface. The cesium adsorption performance of the prepared adsorbent filter was evaluated via adsorption kinetics and isotherm analyses. The maximum adsorption capacity was calculated as 51.9 mg/g according to the Langmuir isotherm. To confirm its long-term practical applicability, the adsorbent filter was incorporated into a flow-through water treatment system that was operated for three months. The tested five-layer filter achieved a 100% cesium removal efficiency (initial concentration 40 μg/L) during the first 12 days, after which a 50% removal efficiency was maintained for 24 days. Therefore, the surface modification methodology proposed herein provides a promising means to convert commercial filter materials into advanced water treatment filters for the removal of radioactive cesium from contaminated water.

Controlling monomer sequence distribution in RAFT polymerization of styrene and acrylic acid

Continuous and semicontinuous RAFT copolymerization was first applied to synthesize well-defined copolymers of styrene and acrylic acid. The obtained copolymers have a different monomer sequence distribution due to different ways of adding acrylic acid to the reaction medium.

Synthesis and characterisation of a non-halogenated water-based functional additive to improve ink-adhesion on untreated polypropylene surfaces

The urge to protect the deteriorating ecosystem is compelling us to make use of eco-friendly products. The current work attempts to develop eco-friendly ink additives to enhance adhesion on untreated polypropylene (PP) substrates. The additive synthesis was carried out in two steps. The first step comprises solution polymerisation of isobornyl methacrylate (IBOMA) and acrylic acid (AA), followed by emulsion polymerisation of butyl acrylate (BA), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The additive was designed in such a way that p(IBOMA-co-AA) will migrate out and stabilise the emulsion copolymerised p(BA-co-MMA-co-GMA). The p(IBOMA-co-AA) and the final step of the synthesised additive had 107 °C and 20 °C T g , respectively. The additive was characterised by different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The additive's adhesion property was evaluated by incorporating it in the standard water-based ink formulation at 0–10 wt % to confirm the adhesion properties using the cross-cut adhesion test.