The Influence of Lubricating Agents on the Formation of a Film of a Styrene/Butadiene Latex

The interactions between paper coating lubricants and a carboxylated styrene/butadiene latex emulsion and their effect on latex film morphology have been studied. Calcium stearate, non-ionic polyethylene emulsion and organic triglyceride lubricants showed different interaction characteristics with the latex emulsion according to viscosity, zeta potential and isothermal calorimetric measurements. Calcium stearate lowered the viscosity of the dilute latex emulsion at low concentration suggesting a strong interaction with the latex particles due to a change in the hydrodynamic dimensions of the latex particles. The exothermic enthalpy change supported the assumption of a dissociative interaction. In contrast, both non-ionic polyethylene and organic triglyceride emulsion showed less pronounced enthalpy changes, indicating lower affinity for the latex particles. The reduction in viscosity showed, however, that at low lubricant concentrations there is an interaction between the latex particles and particularly the organic triglyceride emulsion. This suggests a selective adsorption of stabilizing agents and species from the lubricant emulsion which alters the hydrodynamic radius of the latex particles. The effects of the colloidal interactions on the morphology of the latex films monitored by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) indicated that specific surface interaction occurring in aqueous media influenced the topography and the surface chemical heterogeneity of the latex films. Especially in the case of calcium stearate, it seems that the dissolved species arrange themselves around the latex particles inhibiting film formation. The organic triglyceride, on the other hand, showed a lower interaction potential in the aqueous phase and it had a different impact on the film formation.