Disclosure of Invention
The present invention satisfies the above compelling needs of the coatings industry and provides an acrylic resin product suitable for formulating waterborne coil coatings having high gloss and balanced properties.
Specifically, the present invention provides, in one aspect, an aqueous latex suitable for use in formulating coil coating compositions, the aqueous latex comprising an acrylic polymer formed by emulsion polymerization of a monomer mixture comprising, relative to the total weight of the monomer mixture,
a) 1-35% by weight of a hydroxy C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylate;
b)0.1 to 20% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having an acid function; and
c)45 to 98.9 wt.% of ethylenically unsaturated monomers other than a) and b);
wherein the number average molecular weight of the acrylic polymer is in the range of 4000-30000g/mol, and the weight average molecular weight is in the range of 10000-70000 g/mol.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing an aqueous latex suitable for use in formulating coil coating compositions, comprising the steps of:
(1) mixing a monomer mixture, a chain transfer agent, a partial emulsifier and deionized water to obtain a pre-emulsion, and mixing a partial thermal initiator and the deionized water to obtain a thermal initiator solution;
(2) dripping the pre-emulsion and a thermal initiator solution into a mixture formed by the rest of emulsifier, the rest of thermal initiator and deionized water at the same time within the temperature range of 70-90 ℃ to react to obtain a first reaction solution;
(3) adding a second initiator, a reducing agent and optionally a metal catalyst into the first reaction liquid at the temperature of 50-60 ℃ to form a redox initiation system, and further polymerizing the residual monomer mixture to obtain a second reaction liquid; and
(4) neutralizing the second reaction solution, and filtering to obtain the water-based latex;
wherein the aqueous latex comprises an acrylic polymer formed from emulsion polymerization of a monomer mixture,
wherein the monomer mixture comprises, relative to the total weight of the monomer mixture,
a) 1-35% by weight of a hydroxy C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylate;
b)0.1 to 20% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having an acid function; and
c)45 to 98.9 wt.% of ethylenically unsaturated monomers other than a) and b); and is
Wherein the number average molecular weight of the acrylic polymer is in the range of 4000-30000g/mol, and the weight average molecular weight is in the range of 10000-70000 g/mol.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a coil coating composition comprising,
(i) an aqueous latex suitable for use in formulating coil coating compositions according to the present invention; and
(ii) optionally a cross-linking agent, and optionally a cross-linking agent,
wherein a cured coating formed from the coating composition has a 60 ° gloss of 70 or more at a PVC of 30% or more.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a web product comprising:
a web substrate having at least one major surface;
a coating applied directly or indirectly to a major surface of the web substrate, the coating being formed from a web coating composition of the present invention.
The inventors of the present invention have pioneered an aqueous latex suitable for use in formulating coil coating compositions, said aqueous latex comprising an acrylic polymer formed from a monomer mixture by emulsion polymerization, wherein the acrylic polymer has a number average molecular weight in the range of 4000-30000g/mol and a weight average molecular weight in the range of 10000-70000 g/mol. Preferably, the hydroxyl number of the acrylic polymer is 30mg KOH/g or more, preferably in the range of 30 to 50mg KOH/g. From such aqueous latexes suitable for use in formulating coil coating compositions, substantially VOC free aqueous coil coating compositions can be formulated.
The inventors of the present invention have surprisingly found that a cured coating formed from a coil coating composition comprising the aqueous latex according to the present invention has a 60 ° gloss of 70 or more at a PVC of 30% or more, which meets the market demand for high gloss aqueous coil coatings.
The present inventors have also surprisingly found that such aqueous latexes suitable for formulating coil coating compositions can be formulated to form aqueous coil coating compositions having lower VOC emissions than other aqueous resins commonly used in the coil coating market (e.g., water-soluble acrylic resins, aqueous polyester resins, etc.).
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and from the claims.
Definition of
As used herein, unless otherwise indicated, "a", "an", "the", "at least one", and "one or more" are used interchangeably herein, as well as where no numerical word is used. Thus, for example, a coating composition comprising "an" additive can be interpreted to mean that "one or more" additives are included in the coating composition. The use of a singular form herein is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
Where a composition is described as including or comprising a particular component, optional components not contemplated by the present invention are not contemplated as being excluded from the composition and it is contemplated that the composition may consist of or consist of the recited component or where a method is described as including or comprising a particular process step, optional process steps not contemplated by the present invention are not contemplated as being excluded from the method and it is contemplated that the method may consist of or consist of the recited process step.
For the sake of brevity, only some numerical ranges are explicitly disclosed herein. However, any lower limit may be combined with any upper limit to form ranges not explicitly recited; and any lower limit may be combined with any other lower limit to form a range not explicitly recited, and similarly any upper limit may be combined with any other upper limit to form a range not explicitly recited. Also, although not explicitly recited, each point or individual value between endpoints of a range is encompassed within the range. Thus, each point or individual value can form a range not explicitly recited as its own lower or upper limit in combination with any other point or individual value or in combination with other lower or upper limits.
In the present invention, a "high gloss coating" or a "high gloss coating" refers to a coating having a gloss of at least 70, preferably at least 75, measured with the aid of a Sheen small pore gloss meter at a reflection angle of 60 °. By "high gloss (or high gloss, high gloss) coil coating composition" is meant that the coating formed from the coil coating composition is a high gloss coating as defined above.
The term "Pigment Volume Concentration (PVC)" as used herein means the volume of the color and extender pigments (i.e., non-binder solids) in the coating composition as a percentage of the total volume of all non-volatile components (polymer, color and extender pigments) present in the coating composition. PVC reflects the volume relationship between the pigment filler and the polymer particles in the coating film. In the case where the binder solid (polymer) and the non-binder solid comprise multiple components, ideal mixing is assumed and all volumes are additive. Briefly, according to the present invention, the Pigment Volume Concentration (PVC) can be represented by the following formula:
it is well known that the volume of a substance can be determined by the ratio of its mass to its density. In the present invention, the volume of each pigment/filler is determined by the ratio of the mass of the particulate solids to the density thereof, and the volume of the pigment/filler is the sum of the volumes of the particulate solids of the respective pigment/filler. Similarly, the volume of the polymer particles is determined by the ratio of the mass of the solid portion in the aqueous latex to the density of the polymer particles, assuming that the density of the polymer particles is 1g/cm3。
When used in the context of "coil coating composition", the term "substantially free" of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) means that the VOC content of the coil coating composition is below the detection limit of standard GB18582-2008, i.e. below 2g/l of coating composition.
In the present invention, the term "(meth) acrylate" means acrylate, methacrylate or a mixture of both.
In the present invention, the numerical ranges defined by endpoints include all any number within the range, for example, a range of 1 to 5 encompasses the numbers 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, 5, and the like. Moreover, the disclosed numerical ranges include all subranges within the broad range, for example, a range of 1 to 5 includes subranges 1 to 4, 1.5 to 4.5, 1 to 2, etc.
The terms "preferred" and "preferably" refer to embodiments of the invention that may provide certain benefits under certain circumstances. However, other embodiments may be preferred, under the same or other circumstances. In addition, recitation of one or more preferred embodiments does not imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the invention.
Detailed Description
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aqueous latex suitable for use in formulating coil coating compositions, said aqueous latex comprising an acrylic polymer formed by emulsion polymerization of a monomer mixture comprising, relative to the total weight of the monomer mixture,
a) 1-35% by weight of a hydroxy C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylate;
b)0.1 to 20% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having an acid function; and
c)45 to 98.9 wt.% of ethylenically unsaturated monomers other than a) and b);
wherein the number average molecular weight of the acrylic polymer is in the range of 4000-30000g/mol, and the weight average molecular weight is in the range of 10000-70000 g/mol.
In the aqueous latex suitable for formulating a coil coating composition according to the present invention, the molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution of the acrylic polymer are important parameters affecting the gloss of the coil coating composition. In one embodiment of the present invention, the number average molecular weight (Mn) of the acrylic polymer is in the range of 4000-30000g/mol, preferably 4000-20000g/mol, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is in the range of 10000-70000g/mol, preferably 10000-40000g/mol, and the molecular weight distribution coefficient (D ═ Mw/Mn) is in the range of 1.5-4.7. The molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution coefficient may be determined using Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), such as Agilent 1260.
In the aqueous latexes suitable for formulating coil coating compositions according to the invention, the hydroxyl value of the acrylic polymer also affects the gloss of the coil coating composition to some extent. Thus, according to embodiments of the present invention, the acrylic polymer has a hydroxyl number of 30mg KOH/g or more. In one embodiment of the invention, the acrylic polymer has a hydroxyl number of 30 to 50mg KOH/g, preferably between 35 and 45mg KOH/g. The hydroxyl number is determined by titration.
The inventors of the present invention have surprisingly found that aqueous latexes of acrylic polymers having a molecular weight and a molecular weight distribution within the above ranges, preferably also having a hydroxyl number within the above ranges, can be formulated to form coil coating compositions having high gloss, even at high PVC, e.g. 30%, 35%, 40% or higher, coil coating compositions having high gloss can still be obtained.
In the aqueous latex suitable for formulating a coil coating composition according to the present invention, the acrylic polymer may have a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 5 ℃ to 35 ℃, preferably 8 ℃ to 28 ℃.
The term "Tg" herein denotes the glass transition temperature, which is the temperature at which a polymer transitions from a glassy, brittle state to a rubbery state. The Tg value can be determined experimentally using techniques such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) or calculated using the Fox equation. Unless otherwise stated, the Tg values and ranges given herein are based on the Tg calculated using the Fox equation.
The Tg (in open form) of a copolymer with n copolymerized comonomers is given by the weight fraction W of each comonomer type and the Tg (in open form) of the homopolymer from each comonomer according to the Fox equation:
the calculated Tg in degrees Kelvin can be easily converted to degrees Celsius (. degree. C.).
While not wishing to be bound by theory, the inventors believe that the Tg of the acrylic polymer greatly affects the ability of the acrylic polymer as a film-forming resin to coagulate into a film. According to the present invention, the Tg of the acrylic polymer is designed to be 5 ℃ to 35 ℃, preferably 8 ℃ to 28 ℃ in order to obtain the desired film-forming property and coating processability resistance of the polymer.
In the aqueous latex suitable for formulating coil coating compositions according to the present invention, the acrylic polymer aggregates to constitute the dispersed phase. In certain embodiments, the dispersed phase has a particle size in the range of 100nm to 400 nm. The size of the dispersed phase can be measured by the Z-average particle size, which is well known in the art, and refers to the size of the dispersed phase as determined by dynamic light scattering, such as by a Marvlen Zetasizer 3000HS microscopic particle size analyzer. In the embodiment of the present invention, the dispersed phase has a particle size of 100-300nm, preferably 120-280nm, and more preferably 120-250 nm.
The aqueous latex suitable for formulating coil coating compositions according to the present invention is formed by emulsion polymerization of a monomer mixture comprising, relative to the total weight of the monomer mixture, a)1 to 35% by weight of a hydroxy C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylate; b)0.1 to 20% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having an acid function; and c) from 45 to 98.9% by weight of ethylenically unsaturated monomers other than those in a) and b).
Examples of suitable hydroxy C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylates include, but are not limited to, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, hydroxybutyl methacrylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxybutyl acrylate, or any combination thereof. Preferably, the hydroxy C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylate is selected from at least one of hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, hydroxybutyl methacrylate, more preferably, from hydroxyethyl methacrylate.
Examples of suitable ethylenically unsaturated monomers having acid functionality include, but are not limited to, phosphate functional monomers, phosphonate functional monomers, sulfonate functional monomers, carboxylic acid functional monomers, or any combination thereof. Preferably, the ethylenically unsaturated monomer with acid functionality is selected from at least one of phosphate functionalized or carboxylic acid functionalized monomers, more preferably from at least one of carboxylic acid functionalized monomers, such as at least one of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, beta-carboxyethyl acrylate, crotonic acid, fumaric acid, maleic anhydride, itaconic acid, or monoalkyl esters or anhydrides of dibasic acids (e.g., monoalkyl esters of maleic acid). Particularly preferred is acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, with methacrylic acid being most particularly preferred.
As examples of free-radically polymerizable phosphoric acid-functional monomers, phosphonic acid-functional monomers and sulfonic acid-functional monomers, there have been described, for example, WO 00/39181 (page 8, line 13 to page 9, line 19).
In the aqueous latexes suitable for formulating coil coating compositions according to the invention, the monomer mixture also comprises other ethylenically unsaturated monomers different from the above-mentioned hydroxy C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylates and ethylenically unsaturated monomers having an acid function. Examples of suitable ethylenically unsaturated monomers other than those in a) and b) include, but are not limited to, C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylates and vinyl aromatic compounds having up to 20 carbon atoms.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the monomer mixture comprises, relative to the total weight of the monomer mixture,
a) 1-35% by weight of a hydroxy C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylate;
b)0.1 to 20% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having an acid function;
c1) 10-70% by weight of a C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylate; and
c2)1 to 40% by weight of a vinylaromatic compound having up to 20 carbon atoms.
Examples of suitable C1-C20 alkyl methacrylates suitable for use in the present invention include, but are not limited to, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, sec-butyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate, pentyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate, heptyl methacrylate, octyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, nonyl methacrylate, 2-methyloctyl methacrylate, 2-tert-butyl heptyl methacrylate, 3-isopropyl heptyl methacrylate, decyl methacrylate, undecyl methacrylate, 5-methylundecyl methacrylate, dodecyl methacrylate, and, 2-methyldodecyl methacrylate, tridecyl methacrylate, 5-methyltrodecyl methacrylate, tetradecyl methacrylate, pentadecyl methacrylate, hexadecyl methacrylate, 2-methylhexadecyl methacrylate, heptadecyl methacrylate, 5-isopropylheptadecyl methacrylate, 5-ethyloctadecyl methacrylate, octadecyl methacrylate, nonadecyl methacrylate, eicosyl methacrylate, cycloalkyl methacrylates (e.g., cyclopentyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, 3-vinyl-2-butylcyclohexyl methacrylate, cycloheptyl methacrylate, cyclooctyl methacrylate, etc.), Bornyl methacrylate and isobornyl methacrylate. Preference is given to methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate or tert-butyl methacrylate, particular preference to methyl methacrylate, tert-butyl methacrylate or butyl methacrylate.
Examples of suitable C1-C20 alkyl acrylates suitable for use in the present invention include, but are not limited to, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, isopropyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, sec-butyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, pentyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, heptyl acrylate, octyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, nonyl acrylate, 2-methyl-octyl acrylate, 2-tert-butyl heptyl acrylate, 3-isopropyl heptyl acrylate, decyl acrylate, undecyl acrylate, 5-methyl undecyl acrylate, dodecyl acrylate, 2-methyl dodecyl acrylate, tridecyl acrylate, 5-methyl tridecyl acrylate, methyl dodecyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, isopropyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, heptyl acrylate, octyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, nonyl acrylate, 2-methyl-octyl acrylate, 2-methyl dodecyl acrylate, tridecyl acrylate, 5-, Tetradecyl acrylate, pentadecyl acrylate, hexadecyl acrylate, 2-methylhexadecyl acrylate, heptadecyl acrylate, 5-isopropylheptadecyl acrylate, 5-ethyloctadecyl acrylate, octadecyl acrylate, nonadecyl acrylate, eicosyl acrylate, cycloalkyl acrylates, such as cyclopentyl acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, 3-vinyl-2-butylcyclohexyl acrylate, cycloheptyl acrylate, cyclooctyl acrylate, bornyl acrylate, and isobornyl acrylate. Preference is given to ethyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate or cyclohexyl acrylate, particular preference to ethyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate or 2-ethylhexyl acrylate.
Examples of vinyl aromatic compounds having up to 20 carbon atoms include, but are not limited to, styrene, vinyl toluene, o-methyl styrene, p-methyl styrene, α -butyl styrene, 4-n-decyl styrene, halogenated styrenes (e.g., monochlorostyrene, dichlorostyrene, tribromostyrene, or tetrabromostyrene), with styrene being preferred.
Emulsion polymerization techniques for preparing aqueous latexes from the above-described monomer mixtures containing ethylenically unsaturated monomers are diverse, such as single-stage polymerization processes, multistage polymerization processes, continuous processes, and the like. It is well known that an aqueous latex can be prepared using a seed polymerization process in order to control the structure and composition of polymer micelles contained in the aqueous latex.
The aqueous latices suitable for formulating coil coating compositions according to the invention are prepared by the following process: (1) mixing a monomer mixture, a chain transfer agent, a partial emulsifier and deionized water to obtain a pre-emulsion, and mixing a partial thermal initiator and the deionized water to obtain a thermal initiator solution; (2) dripping the pre-emulsion and a thermal initiator solution into a mixture formed by the rest of emulsifier, the rest of thermal initiator and deionized water at the same time within the temperature range of 70-90 ℃ to react to obtain a first reaction solution; (3) adding a second initiator, a reducing agent and optionally a metal catalyst into the first reaction liquid at the temperature of 50-60 ℃ to form a redox initiation system, and further polymerizing the residual monomer mixture to obtain a second reaction liquid; (4) neutralizing the second reaction solution, and filtering to obtain the water-based latex.
Typically, the aqueous latex thus obtained has a solids content of from 40 to 60%.
Examples of useful emulsifiers include anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, or combinations thereof as are well known in the art. The nonionic surfactant comprises alkylphenol ethoxylates and fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether. Preferably, alkylphenol ethoxylates are used. Anionic surfactants include aliphatic carboxylates, aliphatic sulfonates, aliphatic sulfates, and aliphatic phosphates. Preferably, alkali metal salts, such as Na, K or Li, or alkaline earth metal salts, such as Ca or Ba, are used. In one embodiment according to the invention, an aliphatic sulfonate is used, preferably an alkali metal salt of dodecylsulfonic acid, more preferably Sodium Dodecylsulfonate (SDS). Preferably, the emulsifier is present in an amount of 0.5-5 wt.%, relative to the total charge.
Any known thermal initiator may be used to initiate the polymerization reaction. Examples of suitable thermal initiators include persulfates, such as ammonium persulfate or alkali metal persulfates (including potassium, sodium or lithium); peroxides, such as cumyl hydroperoxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, di-tert-butyl peroxide, dioctyl peroxide, tert-butyl pervalerate, tert-butyl perisononanoate, tert-butyl peroctoate, tert-butyl perneodecanoate, di (2-ethylhexyl) peroxydicarbonate, di (isotridecyl) peroxydicarbonate; azo compounds, such as azobis (isobutyronitrile) and azobis (4-cyanovaleric acid). Preferably, water-soluble thermal initiators persulfates, such as ammonium persulfate, potassium persulfate, and sodium persulfate, are used. More specifically, ammonium persulfate was used as the thermal initiator. Preferably, the thermal initiator is present in an amount of 0.1 to 2% by weight relative to the total charge.
According to the invention, during the preparation of the aqueous latex, a chain transfer agent is added, chosen from isopropanol, halogenated compounds, linear or branched C4-C22One or more of alkyl mercaptans, mercaptoalkanoic acids and alkyl mercaptoalkanoates, preferably straight or branched C4-C22The alkyl mercaptans, more preferably one or more of n-dodecyl mercaptan and t-dodecyl mercaptan, are preferably present in an amount of 0.1 to 5 wt.%, relative to the total charge. The chain transfer agent may be added in one or more portions or continuously, linearly or non-linearly over most or all of the reaction period.
According to the invention, in order to further polymerize the remaining monomer mixture during the preparation of the aqueous latex, a redox initiation system is also used, comprising a second initiator, a reducing agent and optionally a metal catalyst.
Examples of the second initiator include, but are not limited to, peroxides such as hydrogen peroxide, sodium peroxide, potassium peroxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, t-amyl hydroperoxide, and cumyl hydroperoxide; persulfates such as ammonium persulfate, potassium persulfate, sodium persulfate; perborate; and one or more of a superphosphate; peroxides are preferred, and one or more of hydrogen peroxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, t-amyl hydroperoxide and cumyl hydroperoxide are more preferred. Typically, the second initiator is present in an amount of 0.01 to 5 wt% relative to the total charge.
Examples of such reducing agents include, but are not limited to, one or more of sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate, sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium thiosulfate, sodium sulfide, sodium hydrosulfide, sodium hydrosulfite, formamidinesulfinic acid, hydroxymethanesulfonic acid, acetone bisulfite, ethanolamine, glycolic acid, glyoxylic acid hydrate, ascorbic acid, isoascorbic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, 2-hydroxy-2-sulfinatoacetic acid, tartaric acid, and salts of such acids; one or more of sodium bisulfite, ascorbic acid and erythorbic acid are preferred. Typically, the reducing agent is present in an amount of 0.01 to 5 wt% relative to the total charge.
The metal catalyst is selected from one or more of iron, copper, manganese, silver, platinum, vanadium, nickel, chromium, palladium and cobalt catalysts, preferably an iron catalyst. Preferably, the metal catalyst is present in an amount of 0.001 to 1 wt% relative to the total charge.
In the above emulsion polymerization process, the reaction conditions of the reaction temperature, the stirring speed and the like can be determined empirically by those skilled in the art. Preferably, the reaction temperature is maintained below 100 ℃ throughout the reaction, more preferably the reaction temperature is in the range of from 30 to 95 ℃, most preferably from 50 to 90 ℃. In addition, the polymerization is preferably carried out at a pH of 4 to 8.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for preparing an aqueous latex suitable for use in formulating coil coating compositions, comprising the steps of: (1) mixing a monomer mixture, a chain transfer agent, a partial emulsifier and deionized water to obtain a pre-emulsion, and mixing a partial thermal initiator and the deionized water to obtain a thermal initiator solution; (2) dripping the pre-emulsion and a thermal initiator solution into a mixture formed by the rest of emulsifier, the rest of thermal initiator and deionized water at the same time within the temperature range of 70-90 ℃ to react to obtain a first reaction solution; (3) adding a second initiator, a reducing agent and optionally a metal catalyst into the first reaction liquid at the temperature of 50-60 ℃ to form a redox initiation system, and further polymerizing the residual monomer mixture to obtain a second reaction liquid; (4) neutralizing the second reaction solution, and filtering to obtain the water-based latex;
the aqueous latex comprises an acrylic polymer formed by emulsion polymerization of a monomer mixture comprising, relative to the total weight of the monomer mixture,
a) 1-35% by weight of a hydroxy C1-C20 alkyl (meth) acrylate;
b)0.1 to 20% by weight of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having an acid function; and
c)45 to 98.9 wt.% of ethylenically unsaturated monomers other than a) and b);
wherein the number average molecular weight of the acrylic polymer is in the range of 4000-30000g/mol, and the weight average molecular weight is in the range of 10000-70000 g/mol.
In the aqueous latexes suitable for formulating coil coating compositions prepared by the process according to the invention, the hydroxyl number of the acrylic polymer also affects the gloss of the coil coating composition to some extent. According to certain embodiments of the present invention, the acrylic polymer preferably has a hydroxyl number of 30mg KOH/g or more. In one embodiment of the invention, the acrylic polymer has a hydroxyl number of 30 to 50mg KOH/g, preferably between 35 and 45mg KOH/g.
The inventors have surprisingly found that the aqueous latices according to the invention can be used alone or in combination with crosslinkers capable of crosslinking therewith to give high gloss coil coating compositions curable under high temperature baking conditions. Without wishing to be bound by any theory, applicants believe that the gloss of the cured coating is primarily affected by the molecular weight size and distribution of the acrylic polymer in the aqueous latex, and that the hydroxyl value of the acrylic polymer in the aqueous latex also affects the gloss of the resulting cured coating to some extent. The present invention provides an aqueous latex containing an acrylic polymer having a specific molecular weight and molecular weight distribution and hydroxyl value by selecting a specific amount of polymerizable monomer and specific process conditions. Coating compositions formulated from such aqueous latexes exhibit high gloss after curing to a paint film, particularly 60 ° gloss of 70 or greater at PVC levels of 30% or greater.
Thus, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coil coating composition comprising,
(i) an aqueous latex suitable for use in formulating coil coating compositions according to the present invention; and
(ii) optionally a cross-linking agent, and optionally a cross-linking agent,
wherein a cured coating formed from the coating composition has a 60 ° gloss of 70 or more at a PVC of 30% or more.
The aqueous latices according to the invention may be used alone or in combination with other conventional aqueous latices suitable for formulating coil coating compositions. The dosage can be adjusted according to the requirements of practical application. In one embodiment according to the present invention, the amount of the aqueous latex suitable for formulating a coil coating composition according to the present invention is in the range of 30 to 85 wt. -%, preferably in the range of 30 to 70 wt. -%, more preferably in the range of 35 to 65 wt. -%, relative to the total weight of the coil coating composition.
In the coil coating composition according to the invention, the crosslinking agent is optional. The desired cross-linking agent may be selected according to the requirements of the actual application. In some embodiments of the invention, non-limiting examples of crosslinking agents include amino resin crosslinking agents. The amino resin means a condensation product of aldehydes such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, and benzaldehyde and amino or amide group-containing substances such as urea, melamine, and benzoguanamine. Examples of suitable aminoplast resins include, but are not limited to, melamine-formaldehyde resins, benzoguanamine-formaldehyde resins, urea-formaldehyde resins. Condensation products of other amines and amides, such as aldehyde condensates of triazines, diazines, triazoles, guanidines, guanamines, and alkyl-and aryl-substituted melamines, may also be used. Some examples of such compounds are N, N' -dimethylurea, benzourea, dicyandiamide, methylguanidine, ethylguanidine, glycoluril, ammeline, 2-chloro-4, 6-diamino-1, 3, 5-triazine, 6-methyl-2, 4-diamino-1, 3, 5-triazine, 3, 5-diaminotriazole, triaminopyrimidine, 2-mercapto-4, 6-diaminopyrimidine, 3,4, 6-tris (ethylamino) -1,3, 5-triazine, and the like. Although the aldehyde used is typically formaldehyde, other aldehydes such as acetaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, acrolein, benzaldehyde, furfural, glyoxal, and the like, and mixtures thereof, may also be used. According to the present invention, a melamine-formaldehyde crosslinking agent, a benzoguanamine-formaldehyde crosslinking agent, a glycoluril-formaldehyde crosslinking agent, or a combination thereof may be used as the amino resin crosslinking agent. Amino resin crosslinkers are commercially available, non-limiting examples of suitable commercially available amino resin crosslinkers include Cymel303LF, Cymel 1123, Cymel 1170, and the like from Cytec.
The amount of cross-linking agent may depend on various factors including, for example, the type of cross-linking agent, the time and temperature of baking, the molecular weight of the polymer, and the desired properties of the coating. The crosslinking agent is generally present in an amount of up to 50 wt%, preferably up to 30 wt%, more preferably up to 15 wt%, still more preferably up to 5 wt%. If used, the crosslinking agent is generally present in an amount of at least 0.1 wt.%, more preferably at least 1 wt.%, even more preferably at least 1.5 wt.%. These weight percentages are based on the total weight of the coil coating composition.
The coil coating composition of the present invention may also contain conventional additives that do not adversely affect the coil coating composition or the cured coating derived therefrom. Suitable additives include, for example, those agents that improve the processability or manufacturability of the composition, enhance the aesthetics of the composition, improve certain functional properties or characteristics of the coating composition or cured composition resulting therefrom (such as adhesion to a substrate), or reduce cost. Additives that may be included are, for example, fillers, lubricants, coalescents, wetting agents, plasticizers, defoamers, colorants, antioxidants, flow control agents, thixotropic agents, dispersants, adhesion promoters, thickeners, pH adjusters, solvents, or combinations thereof. The individual optional ingredients are present in amounts sufficient for their intended purpose, but preferably such amounts do not adversely affect the coil coating composition or the cured coating resulting therefrom. In a preferred embodiment, the coil coating composition of the present invention may comprise thickeners, dispersants, defoamers, wetting agents, fillers, film forming aids, mold inhibitors, preservatives or any combination thereof as conventional additives. According to the invention, the total amount of conventional additives is from 0.1% to about 40% by weight relative to the total weight of the coil composition.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the coil coating composition according to the present invention comprises, relative to the weight of the coil coating composition, from 30 to 85% by weight of an aqueous latex suitable for formulating coil coating compositions; 5-15% by weight of water; 0-15 wt% of a cross-linking agent; and 0-40 wt% of other additional additives selected from one or more of pigments, fillers, film-forming aids, defoamers, dispersants, wetting agents and thickeners.
As examples of the film-forming assistant, alcohols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, hexylene glycol, benzyl alcohol and the like; alcohol esters such as lauryl alcohol ester; alcohol ethers such as ethylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol n-propyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol propyl ether, dipropylene glycol butyl ether, tripropylene glycol n-butyl ether and the like; alcohol ether esters such as hexylene glycol butyl ether acetate and the like. As an example of a pigment, R706 available from dupont, usa can be used. As an example of the defoaming agent, SN 154 available from S-NOPCO of Japan can be used. As an example of a dispersant, P30 available from Arkema, France may be used. As an example of a thickener, PLUS 330 available from ASHLAND, usa, can be used.
The water-based latex prepared by the invention is suitable for preparing the coil coating composition, has good film-forming property, can form a film only by a small amount of film-forming additives or without the film-forming additives, greatly reduces the VOC content in the coating, and enables the coating to better meet the environmental protection requirement. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the coil coating composition according to the invention is substantially free of volatile organic compounds.
The coil coating compositions of the present invention have utility in a variety of applications. Embodiments of the present invention also include a web article comprising a web substrate having at least one major surface; and a coating layer applied directly or indirectly on a major surface of the web substrate, the coating layer being formed from a web coating composition of an embodiment of the present invention.
In certain embodiments of the present invention, the coil coating composition of the present invention may be used in conjunction with a primer, in which case the coil article of the present invention comprises a coil substrate, a primer layer, and a coating layer formed from the coil coating composition of the present invention. In certain embodiments, the primer is an epoxy acrylic primer.
In other embodiments of the present invention, the coil coating composition of the present invention may be applied without a primer, directly on a major surface of a coil substrate.
The coil substrates that may benefit from being coated on their surface with the coil coating composition of the present invention are typically metal substrates, non-limiting examples of which include hot rolled steel, cold rolled steel, hot dip galvanized sheet, electro galvanized sheet, aluminum sheet, tin sheet, various grades of stainless steel, and aluminum-zinc alloy coated steel sheet (e.g., GALVALUE steel sheet or GAL panel).
The coatings formed from the coil coating compositions of the present invention are typically cured or hardened in a temperature environment of about 200-400 deg.C, more preferably about 220-300 deg.C. For coil coating operations, the coating is typically baked for 20-100 seconds to a Peak Metal Temperature (PMT) of about 220 ℃ and 250 ℃.
Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described more specifically by examples. These examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, as various modifications and variations within the scope of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All parts, percentages, and ratios reported in the following examples are on a weight basis unless otherwise stated, and all reagents used in the examples are commercially available and can be used directly without further treatment.
Examples
Preparation of aqueous latices
In a pre-emulsification kettle, weighing deionized water, an emulsifier, ammonia water, each monomer and a chain transfer agent to obtain a monomer pre-emulsion. In the initiator dropping kettle, part of the initiator is put into water to obtain an initiator solution. Then, putting part of the emulsifier, the initiator and the deionized water into a reaction kettle, heating to 70-90 ℃, putting the monomer pre-emulsion and the initiator solution into the reaction kettle at a constant speed within a certain time and at a certain temperature, and carrying out emulsion polymerization to obtain the emulsion containing the acrylic polymer. After cooling to 50-60 ℃, adding tert-butyl hydroperoxide and a reducing agent, further polymerizing residual monomers by using the redox initiation system, adjusting the pH by adding ammonia water according to needs, and filtering to obtain the aqueous latex.
Six kinds of aqueous latices of examples 1 to 3 and comparative examples 1 to 3 were prepared according to the procedures shown above using the formulations shown in Table 1, respectively.
Preparation of coil coating compositions
The six aqueous latexes prepared above were each formulated into a white topcoat having a PVC content of about 43%.
Preparation of coated coil products
The white topcoats of examples 1 and 2 and comparative examples 1 and 2, respectively, were applied to GAL panels coated with an epoxy acrylic primer, with a Dry Film Thickness (DFT) of 15-18 microns and a PMT of 224 and 232 ℃.
The white topcoats of example 3 and comparative example 3 were each applied directly to GAL panels at a dry film thickness DFT of 8-12 microns and a PMT of 224-.
The 60 ℃ gloss of the white coatings formed above was determined according to GB/T13448-.
TABLE 1
The above results show that coil coating compositions exhibiting high gloss can be formulated using the aqueous latexes of the invention, and that the mechanical properties of the resulting coating compositions are comparable to those of coil coating compositions formulated using conventional commercial acrylic emulsions.
The results of the above table show that molecular weight and molecular weight distribution are important factors in determining whether aqueous latexes of acrylic polymers can be formulated to form coil coating compositions having high gloss, and that hydroxyl number also affects the gloss of the coil coating to some extent. The aqueous latexes according to the invention can be formulated to form coil coating compositions having high gloss, even at high PVC.
The entire disclosures of all patents, patent applications, and publications, as well as electronically available materials, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference. The foregoing detailed description and examples have been given for clarity of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. The invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described, and variations apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the invention defined by the claims.
In some embodiments, the invention illustratively disclosed herein may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein. While the invention has been described with reference to a number of embodiments and examples, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed herein.