Preparation and Performance of Acrylate Emulsions Pressure‐Sensitive Adhesives Without Small Molecule Emulsifier Precipitation

ABSTRACT Conventional emulsion always includes monomer, initiator, emulsifier and water of its system. However, the property of emulsion is affected by the migration of emulsifier with small molecules, which could be overcome by introducing high molecular weight emulsifiers. Thus, in this study, acrylic resin SRR566 was used as high molecular weight emulsifiers to replace traditional small molecule emulsifiers, to prepare stable polyacrylate emulsions that exhibit pressure‐sensitive properties. The impact of monomer selection on emulsion performance was explored. The results showed that when the amount of functional monomer hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) is 5 wt%, the emulsion performance is optimal. A series of tests were conducted to characterize its pressure‐sensitive adhesives (PSAs) characteristics. The comprehensive performance in terms of stability, bonding strength, etc., is optimal with 10 wt% high molecular weight emulsifiers. This pressure‐sensitive adhesive has low viscosity and non‐residue properties, making it suitable for use in protective film pressure‐sensitive adhesives. Moreover, compared to small‐molecule emulsifiers, high molecular weight emulsifier SRR566 has advantages such as no precipitation of small‐molecule emulsifiers and water resistance.