Applications of tert-butyl acrylate

In my industry, it can be used in the production of PVC impact modifiers; that is, impact modifiers with a core-shell structure obtained by using PBA rubber as the core and PMMA as the shell, which are then used to modify PVC’s impact resistance

The industry that consumes the most butyl acrylate in our country is coatings, followed by adhesives, textiles, plastic processing, and other industries. (1) Coatings: The acrylates used in acrylic coating products are mainly ethyl acrylate and butyl acrylate. Acrylates play an important role in coatings, both in industrial coatings and in construction coatings. In China’s acrylic coating products, about 80% are water-based polymer products, while 20% are solvent-based polymer products. Acrylic polymers possess excellent weather resistance, transparency, chemical resistance, and mechanical strength, which is why they are widely used in the coating industry. The components of water-based acrylic coatings include emulsion polymers, pigments, dispersants, thickeners, film-forming aids, wet-edge improvers, rust inhibitors, mildew inhibitors, and defoamers. In terms of the film-forming substance, acrylic emulsion coatings are divided into three types. One is the pure acrylic type of coating, which uses acrylic copolymer emulsions as its film-forming substance; it has the best performance but is more expensive ； The second type is the benzene-propylene type, which uses a copolymer emulsion of styrene and acrylic monomers as its film-forming substance ； The third type is the B-C type, which uses a copolymer emulsion of vinyl acetate and acrylic monomers as its film-forming substance. The cost of the latter two is lower than that of pure type C. Building coatings mainly include interior wall coatings and exterior wall coatings. Due to the ban on toxic formaldehyde emissions, building paints that previously relied mainly on polyvinyl acetal have been prohibited; nowadays, latex paints based on polymer emulsions are the mainstream. Interior wall coatings are used in indoor environments, where lower requirements are placed on resistance to ultraviolet light and water. The coating binders are usually based on monomers and acrylate copolymers that are relatively inexpensive; in China, the benzene-acrylic system is more commonly used. In terms of exterior wall coatings, due to the many high-performance requirements such as water resistance, UV resistance, stain resistance, color stability, and wear resistance, the so-called \"pure acrylic\" systems based primarily on butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate are the mainstream. However, in China, for reasons of convention, cost, and ease of use, benzene-acrylic emulsions are still widely used. In the field of architectural coatings, due to increasing environmental regulations, acrylic latex paint has almost become dominant. In addition, acrylic-modified paints are widely used in aircraft, urban sculptures, ABS plastics, etc., while acrylic powder coatings have evolved into high-end coatings for decorating automobile exteriors. In 2009, the consumption of butyl acrylate in the coatings industry was approximately 380,000 tons. (2) Adhesives: Pressure-sensitive adhesives are a major category of adhesives; they are primarily used by being applied to biaxially stretched polypropylene films. After baking and drying, an insoluble adhesive layer is formed, which is then cut into products of various sizes for use in sealing cartons and packaging. Currently, the main pressure-sensitive adhesives used in China are acrylate-based adhesives and styrene-butadiene latex. However, the quality of styrene-butadiene latex can affect the proper operation of coating equipment, whereas acrylate-based adhesives offer excellent performance and cause less pollution; therefore, they will be the focus of development. At the same time, such products are for single-use and have a high consumption rate. Unlike other polymers used in pressure-sensitive adhesives, acrylate-based polymers can be applied in various forms. Acrylate-based pressure-sensitive adhesives come in solvent-based, emulsion-based, hot-melt types, and 100% reactive solid types. Initially, polymer solutions were used; to address the environmental pollution caused by solvent emissions, polymer emulsions were gradually developed. The application of polymer emulsion pressure-sensitive adhesives reached a high level only in the 1970s, with their usage exceeding that of polymer solution-based pressure-sensitive adhesives. Hot-melt polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives require further research and improvement. Radiation-crosslinked 100% solid polyacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesives have been put into production, but they are used only in specialized fields and in small quantities. In 2009, the consumption of butyl acrylate in the adhesives industry was approximately 180,000 tons. (3) Textiles: Butyl acrylate is widely used in the textile industry. In the textile industry, acrylate emulsions are widely used in areas such as paint printing, electrostatic flocking, fabric bonding, warp sizing, and coating processing. Acrylate emulsions are mainly used as thickeners and adhesives in paint printing ； In the processing of electrostatic flocking textiles, acrylate emulsion adhesives are the most commonly used type, and they come in two categories: reactive and self-crosslinking. In 2009, the consumption of butyl acrylate in the textile industry was approximately 60,000 tons. (4) Plastic processing/copolymerization: Binary or ternary copolymers of acrylate monomers and other monomers (ACR) are impact modifiers for rigid PVC products; in industrially developed countries, they are widely used in polyvinyl chloride pipes, profiles, and doors and windows. The main types of plastic modification additives that use acrylates are impact modifiers, processing aids, and antioxidants. Impact resistance is one of the most fundamental physical and mechanical properties of rigid PVC products. Currently, the common approach is to use mechanical blending of ACR impact modifiers with PVC rigid products in order to enhance the impact resistance of these PVC products. In 2009, the consumption of butyl acrylate in the plastic processing industry was approximately 47,000 tons. (5) Others: Acrylate rubber (ACM). Acrylate rubber can be produced using ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, and hydroxyalkyl acrylates as main raw materials; it possesses good high-temperature and oil resistance, and is primarily used in automotive components such as heat-resistant and solvent-resistant gaskets, O-rings, and hoses. Acrylates are used for polishing floors and shoes; primarily butyl acrylate is combined with methyl methacrylate and styrene to give the polish balanced properties. Acrylate polymers can also be used in printing inks, which can be water-soluble or alcohol-soluble.