Copolymerization of Biomass-Derived Carboxylic Acids for Bio-Based Acrylic Emulsions

The development of high-performance bio-based copolymers such as poly(styrene-co-butyl acrylate-co-methacrylic acid) for paints and coating applications is indispensable to the establishment of a sustainable green society, but it is challenging due to the incompatibility of their syntheses of methacrylic acid (MAA) from biomass. The decarboxylation of biomass-derived itaconic acid, aconitic acid and citric acid to MAA has been studied using a variety of heterogeneous catalysts. Among different tested catalysts, spinel BaAl12O19 chemical substance was found to grant an additional active catalysis, it optimized selectivity, and a 50% synthesis yield of MAA was achieved. As-synthesized MAA vinyl monomer has been consequently utilised for the production of a chain-growth poly(St-co-BA-co-MAA) copolymer, industrially-manufactured for coating, adhesive and paint end-user applications. The latexes’ physical properties of bio-MAA-incorporated structured polymers have also been compared with a copolymerized commer...