Synthesis and properties of hydrophobically modified water-borne polymers for pigment stabilization

Some aspects of the molecular design of pigment stabilizers are discussed. The approach of employing copolymers with pigment-affine segments and matri x-affine segments will be particularly addressed. First experimental result s obtained with amphiphilic block copolymers and amphiphilic graft copolyme rs with similar overall composition with regard to polar and relatively non -polar blocks of, e.g. polar backbone and relatively non-polar grafts will be presented. The comparison between the poly(acrylic acid)-polystyrene blo ck copolymer and the graft copolymer with poly(acrylic acid) backbone and p olystyrene grafts showed a similar stabilization of TiO2 in water. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.