Soluble-shell polymers (SSP) with end-functional crosslinking technology

We have synthesized a series of soluble-shell polymers using an acrylic composition with an end-chain alkoxysilane crosslinkable moiety. The crosslinking was achieved by using mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) as a chain transfer agent in the first stage of the acrylic synthesis. MPTMS was effective at mitigating the molecular weight of the acrylic. The resulting dried films showed improved mechanical properties and thermo-mechanical stability. • A series of SSPs were synthesized by emulsion polymerization with end-functionality from an alkoxysilane CTA. • These polymers exhibited improved tensile strength and toughness vs. non-crosslinked and randomly crosslinked polymers. • Nonfunctional and random polymers showed viscous flow in DMA, while the SSPs with end-chain crosslinking did not flow.