Waterborne non‑silicone release coatings based on comb-like supramolecules: Synthesis, structure, and properties

Non‑silicone release coatings, which are capable of reducing the adhesion force between adjacent surfaces, are widely used in fields such as electronics. Currently, they consist of mainly comb-like polymers with long alkyl side chains prepared via covalent grafting and usually require a large amount of organic solvents both during the synthesis and application process. In this study, a comb-like supramolecule (SGP) named PZS was synthesized in water via non-covalent grafting of stearic acid (SA) on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with ammonium zirconium carbonate (AZC) as the bridging agent. The effects of grafting amount on the microphase structure, crystallization properties, surface properties, and release performance of SGP were investigated. The release coatings prepared from the aqueous solution of SGP with an optimal molar ratio of [-OH]_PVA: [Zr]_AZC: [-COOH]_SA = 2:1:2 were found to display a low peel strength (82.4 ± 16.8 N/m) comparable to that of covalently grafted ones. Most importantly, the newly developed PZS is waterborne and achieved nearly zero release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) throughout their entire life cycle (i.e. synthesis and use stage). The newly developed waterborne SGP are promising release agent candidates that fulfill comprehensive industrial requirements of low peel strength, low cost, and environmental friendliness.