Creating low energy paint surface using hollow sub-micron-latex particles

• Addition of nano hollow latex particles (nano HLPs) to a latex paint enabled the finished coating to have a hydrophobic surface.
• Changes in surface energy were followed by contact angle measurements.
• Surface energy decreased with increasing temperature and an increasing level of the nano HLPS.

In this study, core-shell hollow nano-particles in latex form (nano-HLPs) were successfully prepared by using a hydrophobic styrene/methyl methacrylate mixture as shell materials and methacrylic acid/methyl methacrylate/butyl acrylate as core material. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and dynamic light scattering measurements showed that the HLPs had average size of 600 nm. The nano-HLPs were used to obtain more hydrophobic paint surfaces. They were mixed with water based acrylic outdoor paint in different proportions and applied to metal surfaces. The coated surfaces were kept at 60 °C and 80 °C for 1 h to allow the nano-HLPs to move to the surface, which resulted in their surface enrichment. Thus, more hydrophobic paint surfaces were obtained. The changes in surface energy values of the coated surfaces with temperature and composition were followed by contact angle measurements using Young-Dupre equation. The surface energy was observed to decrease with increasing temperature and nano-HLPs portion of the outdoor paint.