Fluorosilicone modified polyacrylate emulsifier-free latex: Synthesis,properties, and application in fabric finishing

Fluorosilicone modified polyacrylate emulsion was successfully synthesized via emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization using polymerizable surfactant and sol-gel process. TEM analysis indicated that the hybrid particles were spherical-like particles with narrow size distributions. The influence of synthetic conditions on the physical and chemical properties of fluorosilicone modified polyacrylate was investigated, including the mass ratio of methyl methacrylate (MMA)/butyl acrylate (BA) and the content of dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFMA) and ethyl silicate (TEOS). The water absorption decreased as the MMA/BA mass ratio was reduced from 5/4 to 2/4, then increased afterwards. With the reducing of MMA/BA mass ratio, the tensile strength decreased, while the elongation at break increased. The thermal stability of the hybrid film was improved with the increasing of TEOS amount. Finally, the contact angle results showed that the finished fabric had the excellent water repellency. Meanwhile, the SEM measurements confirmed that the finished fabric had the rough surface. XPS analysis demonstrated that there was a layer of fluorosilicone modified polyacrylate film covered on the finished fabric surface, and fluorinated segments had the tendency to be enriched at the film-air interface.