Effect of Incorporating a Diurethane Monomethacrylate Monomer into Acrylic Latexes

A diurethane monomethacrylate monomer, 3,12-dioxo-2,13-dioxa-4,11-diazapentadecan-15-yl methacrylate (DODODAMA) was synthesized, purified, and incorporated into homogeneous latexes. DODODAMA was copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) and butyl acrylate (BA) by a seeded emulsion polymerization process. The influence of DODODAMA concentration was evaluated with a constant glass transition temperature (T-g). T-g of the latex was maintained by adjusting the ratio of MMA to BA. The effects of DODODAMA on film formation, viscoelastic properties, mechanical properties, and film morphology were studied. DODODAMA-functionalized latexes exhibited lower minimum film formation temperature and enhanced film formation ability compared to the acrylic latex without DODODAMA. Furthermore, the increase in DODODAMA functionality improved tensile modulus, tensile strength, and hardness of latex films.