Self-stabilized styrene-acrylic copolymer latex with heteroatom function for improved water and corrosion resistant coatings

This approach investigates the preparation of a set of styrene-acrylic copolymers incorporated with N-heteroatom in the form of N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP) as the functional co-monomer at different concentrations within the range of 17-33 mol%. In this case, self-stabilized copolymer latex was obtained without using any conventional surfactant in the system. The beneficial effect of NVP for the emulsion copolymerization of styrene and butyl acrylate was quantified by preparing and analyzing a control sample of the same copolymer latex that was stabilized by a conventional surfactant. The prepared self-stabilized copolymer latexes having particle sizes of 325-371 nm showed excellent colloidal stability with a zeta potential of >+44.5 mV. The air-dried films were found to be optically transparent and comparable to the control sample. The thermal, structural, microscopic, and water/alkali resistance properties of the films were characterized with respect to the NVP content in the copolymer. The coating characteristics of the copolymers on glass slides and mild steel panels were explored by analyzing the hydrophobicity (water contact angle up to 79 degrees) and corrosion resistance (corrosion rate: 6.03 x 10(-5) mm/year) that are significantly improved from the copolymer prepared by conventional emulsion polymerization. This study reveals the impact of N-heteroatom to obtain a self-stabilized polymer latex with improved properties and additional functionalities.