Hybrid miniemulsion polymerization of acrylic/alkyd systems and characterization of the resulting polymers

The hybrid miniemulsion polymerization of acrylates in the presence of alky d resin was carried out. The polymers obtained were characterized via gel p ermeation chromatography, carbon nuclear magnetic resonance, and differenti al scanning calorimetry analysis and selective extraction; they had a quite broad molecular weight distribution. The double bonds that served as graft ing sites of the alkyd onto the polyacrylate were mostly those near acid gr oups. The final product contained some free alkyd and some free polyacrylat e, but the predominant form was poly(acrylate-graft-alkyd). This confirmed that monomer droplet nucleation is the predominant nucleation mechanism for this hybrid miniemulsion polymerization system. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons , Inc.