Synthesis of water-based latexes using siloxane-derived surfactants and investigation of their use in pigment printing applications

Abstract

Developing new recipes for waterborne polymer latex binders with improved colloidal stability and application performance is crucial for sustainable, eco-friendly textile printing processes. For this purpose, 15 waterborne poly(vinyl acetate-co-butyl acrylate) latexes were synthesized by semi-continuous emulsion polymerization using nonionic (ABIL^® B 8843, ABIL^® B 88184) and amphoteric (ABIL^® B 9950) silicone-based surfactants at five concentrations close to their critical micelle concentrations (between 0.08 and 0.24 wt.%). Other critical synthesis conditions, such as the fixed monomer ratio (85:15), initiator amount, stirring rate, total reaction time, and temperature, were kept constant to ensure reproducibility and reaction consistency in all formulations. A comprehensive characterization of the synthesized latexes was performed, colloidal stability was monitored over one year, and latexes that did not exhibit phase separation were utilized in textile pigment printing applications on both woven and knitted cotton fabrics. The AB-50-020 sample prepared using ABIL^® B 9950 at 0.20 wt.% exhibited the highest colloidal stability, characterized by a zeta potential of − 75.67 mV and the smallest particle size of 323.6 nm. Despite the high relative conversion rates (94.3–99%) of the samples obtained from ABIL^® B 8843 and ABIL^® 88184, the number of samples showing long-term stability among the formulations in these series was low, limiting their practical applications. The rubbing, washing, and color fastness, especially in formulations containing ABIL^® B 9950, highlight their suitability as sustainable alternatives for textile applications on woven and knitted cotton fabrics.