Improving water resistance and mechanical properties of waterborne acrylic resin modified by octafluoropentyl methacrylate

A new type of waterborne acrylic resin was prepared by the solution polymerization with octafluoroamyl methacrylate (OF-PMA), 2-butoxy ethanol, and acrylic monomers as raw materials and N, N-dimethyl ethanolamine as pH regulator. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the OF-PMA monomers were successfully grafted onto the resin. The effects of the addition mode and content of OF-PMA on the properties of waterborne acrylic resin were studied. The properties of waterborne acrylic polymer and its coating were tested by a thermogravimetric analyzer, an optical contact angle measuring instrument, and a tensile testing machine. The results showed that after the introduction of OF-PMA monomer into acrylic resin, the tensile strength of the resin was increased by 14.31 MPa. Moreover, the water resistance and heat resistance of resin coating were also improved obviously and the as-modified resin coating exhibited better fullness, adhesion of Gt0, and the hardness of 4H. The novel acrylic resin exhibits a potential application prospect in the fields of waterborne wood coatings. Graphical abstract