PFAS-free biobased waterborne acrylic binders with water and oil repellency

 
"Due to a variety of unique properties, including excellent water and oil repellence, high thermal stability, remarkable oxygen affinity, as well as excellent surfactant properties, the substance class of perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) is found in a broad portfolio of coatings. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of thousands of substances that have been produced since the 1940s and used in a broad range of consumer products and industrial applications. PFAS contain both fluoro-carbon and hydro-carbon segments where the non-fluorinated part can degrade and ultimately form perfluorinated PFAS acids, such as PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid). While the long-chain PFAS accumulate in humans, animals and sediment/soil, the short-chain PFAS accumulate in the environment due to their persistency and high mobility in air and water. Therefore, chemicals having a chronic effect for human health and environment must be substituted, particularly, in consumer products. Based on these, new toxicity-free coatings with the same functionalities than coatings based on PFAS and minimizing the environmental footprint of the new coatings represent a challenge. The objective of this work has been to synthesize new biobased waterborne acrylic binders with water and oil repellency without using PFAS for coating formulations. These systems have been designed controlling their chemical structure and roughness. Different polymerization strategies were carried out and the influence of parameters such as biomonomers type (functionality), concentration and ratio have been analyzed on copolymers polymerization process and on copolymers final properties (glass transition temperature, mechanical properties, water and oil repellency, permeability)."