The effect of crosslinking strategies on the performance of fluorinated core-shell waterborne acrylate pressure sensitive adhesives

Abstract

This study focuses on the development of high-performance core-shell acrylate latex pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) through fluorination and different crosslinking strategies (core-phase and shell-phase crosslinking). The latex was synthesized via a semi-continuous emulsion polymerization process, using (meth)acrylate monomers as the primary components, along with self-crosslinking monomers of acrylic acid (AA) and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and the fluorinated monomer of hexafluorobutyl methacrylate (HFMA). During emulsion polymerization, 2–8 wt% ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) (based on total monomers) was introduced into either the core or shell phase to produce a series of fluorinated latexes with varying degrees of crosslinking. A comprehensive evaluation of the latex films was performed using FTIR, XPS, DSC, and TGA, with a focus on surface chemical composition and adhesive properties. The results demonstrate that only introducing EGDMA into the core phase can effectively immobilize fluorinated groups on the film surface. Moreover, the crosslinking strategies allow for precise control over the surface functional groups, tack, and peel strength of the latex films, offering great potential for tailored adhesive performance.