Preparation and characterization of soap-free fluorine-containing acrylate latex

The soap-free fluorine-containing acrylate latices were prepared by the pre-emulsification and semicontinuous polymerization method, with perfluorooctylethyl methacrylate (PFEA) as fluorinated acrylate monomer and monophosphoric acid allyloxy nonylphenoxy poly(ethyleneoxy)₍₁₀₎ ether as reactive emulsifier. The structure and property of latex polymers were characterized by laser particle size analyzer, attenuated total reflectance spectra of infrared, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis. The effects of polymerization conditions on the conversion and polymerization stability were discussed in detail and the optimal polymerization condition was obtained. XPS analysis indicates that the perfluoroalkyl groups have the tendency to enrich at the film–air interface. With the increasing of PFEA amount, the water absorption of the film decreases and the water contact angle of the film increases. At the same time, the thermal stability of the copolymer is greatly enhanced with the increasing of PFEA amount.