Film formation from monodisperse acrylic lattices

The influence of drying/ageing on the structure and properties of acrylic latex films was investigated using turbidity measurements in combination with gravimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water vapour permeability. Ageing above the minimum film formation temperature (MFFT) leads to marked changes in a dried latex film, whereas, after ageing below the MFFT, changes are hardly found. Above the MFFT there is a continuous change in the film properties with time. This becomes obvious from the decreases in the regenerated interference minimum, water vapour permeability and corrugation height. The influence of ageing on the water absorption of the films is less straight forward. It was expected that films with a more compact structure would absorb less water. This is correct for short drying times only, from 0.5 to 3 h. Ageing of better-dried films, however, yields the opposite result: by increase of the ageing time from 3 to 150 h the water uptake increases. There are various reasons for this increase; they are discussed briefly.