Application of Macromonomers for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives I. Adhesive and Surface Properties

Adhesive and surface-chemical properties of poly(styrene macromer-butyl acrylate) copolymers, poly (styrene-butyl acrylate macromer) copolymers and poly (styrene-butyl acrylate) random copolymers were investigated. The results were as follows:

(1) The adhesive properties of the copolymers which were prepared by the macromer-technique were different from the random copolymers.

(2) It was found that there were differences in the surface and molecular structure between the copotymers which were prepared by the macromer technique and the random copolymers. These differences were evident from the results of measurements of the surface free energy of the copolymers and of the interfacial tension of water/toluene in the presence of the copolymers.

(3) The reason why there were differences in the surface and molecular structure seemed to be that the copolymers which were prepared by the macromer technique had graft chains and a different inner-structure from the random copolymers. Therefore, it was suggested that the graft copolymers which were prepared by the macromer technique had a phase-separated structure.