SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF OXAZOLINE-FUNCTIONAL POLYMER PARTICLES BY FREE-RADICAL NONAQUEOUS DISPERSION POLYMERIZATION

A novel oxazoline-functional methacrylate was prepared and employed as comonomer to produce nonaqueous dispersions of oxazoline-functional p olymer particles. In nonaqueous free radical dispersion copolymerizati on of methylmethacrylate in the presence of oxazoline-functional metha crylate, ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate crosslinking agent, AIBN initiat or, and polystyrene-block-poly (ethene-alt-propene) dispersing agent, the average polymer particle size, varying between 100 and 500 nm, was controlled by the dispersing agent contents. According to titration w ith HClO4 all oxazoline groups regardless of their location at particl e surface or bulk, were accessible. Glass transition temperature decre ased from 120 to 0 degrees C when oxazoline functional methacrylate wa s increased from 0 to 95 mol %. As imaged by atomic force microscopy i ncorporation of the new oxazoline-functional methacrylate improved fil m formation. Oxazoline-functional polymer particles were easy to redis perse in a variety of other diluents. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.