Preparation and reticulation of styrene acrylic/epoxy complex latex

The styrene acrylic/epoxy (SA/EP) complex latex with high content of epoxy resin was successfully prepared through emulsion polymerization initiated by both water-soluble and oil-soluble initiators. The resulting complex latex demonstrated regular spherical morphology with a diameter ranging 150–300 nm and with a narrow size distribution. The compatibility between epoxy and styrene acrylic improved due to the styrene acrylic grafting epoxy formation during grafting copolymerization. The factors influencing the structure and storage time of the complex latex were investigated and the corresponding mechanism was revealed. The SA/EP complex latex can form crosslinking structure with epoxy curing agent at room temperature. The crosslinked complex latex film shows good mechanical properties and excellent chemical resistance. These SA/EP complex latexes show great potential in developing high-performance aqueous paints and adhesive.