Polyacrylates with High Biomass Contents for Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives Prepared via Mini-emulsion Polymerization

n-Butyl acrylate and other acrylic monomers were copolymerized with an acrylated macromonomer to produce polymers for pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) applications. Macromonomers were generated through the ring-opening copolymerization of l-lactide and e-caprolactone with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) at an average molar composition of 5:4:1, respectively. Conversion in the mini-emulsion polymerization was followed using Raman spectroscopy and was nearly complete within 2 h. Testing of these adhesive polymers indicates that performance properties meet or exceed those of commercial water-based acrylic PSAs.