In which industries can acrylic resin synthesis and processing be applied?

Analysis of core application fields of acrylic resin synthesis and processing

As a kind of synthetic polymer material with excellent performance, acrylic resin has been widely used in many industries such as coatings, adhesives, plastics, textiles, building materials, electronics, etc., and has become an indispensable key material in industrial production and daily life because of its good weather resistance, adhesion, film formation, transparency and chemical corrosion resistance, and its performance can be customized by adjusting monomer ratio and synthesis process. The follow is a detailed description of its core application fields:

I. Coating Industry (the largest application field)

Acrylic resin is the core film-forming substance in the coating industry, accounting for more than 30% of the total resin used in coatings. According to the dosage forms, it can be divided into solvent-based, water-based, light-cured and so on, to meet the needs of different scenes:

Architectural coatings: Waterborne acrylic resin is the mainstream raw material of exterior wall coatings and interior wall latex paints, which has excellent weather resistance (anti-ultraviolet, anti-aging), scrubbing resistance (repeated scrubbing without falling off) and color stability, and is widely used for wall decoration of buildings such as houses, office buildings and bridges. At the same time, it can be used in waterproof coatings and fireproof coatings, and can be modified by adding flame retardant and waterproof agent to realize fireproof and waterproof functions.

Industrial coatings: solvent-based or high-solid acrylic resin is used in automobile coatings (body topcoat, primer, varnish), which has the characteristics of high gloss, scratch resistance, stone impact resistance, acid and alkali corrosion resistance, and ensures the lasting and beautiful appearance of automobiles; In addition, it is also used as anti-corrosion coating for mechanical equipment, hardware fittings and steel structures, as well as shell coating for household appliances (refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines) to improve the wear resistance and decoration of products.

Wood coatings: UV-curable acrylic resin and waterborne acrylic resin are used for wood coatings such as furniture, wood floors and wooden doors, which have the advantages of fast curing speed (only a few seconds for UV curing), environmental protection, no peculiar smell, high film hardness (up to class H or above) and yellowing resistance, and meet the needs of efficient production in the furniture industry.

Special coatings: In the fields of aerospace, ships, electronics, etc., acrylic resin is modified (such as adding fluorine and silicon) to make high temperature resistant, marine corrosion resistant and antistatic coatings, which can be used in aircraft parts, ship decks, electronic equipment shells, etc. to meet the requirements of extreme environment.

Second, the adhesive and sealant industry

Acrylic adhesives (solvent-based, emulsion-based, and UV-curable) have many advantages, such as high bonding strength, fast curing speed, good weather resistance, and wide range of applicable substrates. The application scenarios cover many fields:

Packaging industry: Waterborne acrylic emulsion adhesive is used for composite packaging of paper, film and aluminum foil (such as food packaging and cosmetics packaging), which is firm in bonding, environmentally friendly and non-toxic and meets food contact safety standards; Hot-melt acrylic adhesive is used for sealing express bags and shopping bags, which has the characteristics of rapid adhesion and low temperature heat sealing.

Buildings and building materials: used for bonding glass, tiles and stones (such as splicing acrylic plates and sticking exterior tiles), as well as sealing doors and windows and curtain walls. Its weatherability can resist wind, rain and sun, and keep sealing performance for a long time; It can also be used as structural adhesive for wood floor splicing and furniture assembly, and its bonding strength is comparable to that of traditional woodworking adhesive.

Electronics and new energy: UV-curable acrylic adhesive is used for bonding and packaging electronic components (such as chips, resistors and capacitors). After curing, it has good insulation performance and low volume shrinkage, and does not affect the accuracy of electronic equipment; In the field of new energy, it is used for bonding lithium battery tabs and sealing the frame of photovoltaic modules, and has the characteristics of high temperature resistance, aging resistance and flame retardancy.

Automobile and transportation: It is used for bonding automobile interior parts (such as instrument panel, door panel, seat), as well as window sealing and body structural parts reinforcement. Its flexibility can adapt to the vibration during automobile driving, and at the same time, it can withstand high and low temperatures (-40℃~80℃) to ensure bonding stability.

Iii. Plastics and Modified Materials Industry

Acrylic resin itself can be processed into plastic products or used as a modifier to improve the properties of other plastics;

General plastic products: polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, commonly known as plexiglass) is the most common acrylic plastic, which has the characteristics of high transparency (light transmittance ≥92%), impact resistance, easy processing, etc., and is used for glasses lenses, advertising light boxes, decorative plates, medical devices (such as infusion sets, syringe casings), mobile phone screen protective films, etc.

Plastic modification: As a toughening agent and compatilizer, acrylic resin is used to improve the toughness, compatibility and weather resistance of plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). For example, adding acrylic resin to PVC pipes can improve the impact resistance of pipes and avoid brittle cracking at low temperature; Adding it to PP automobile bumper can enhance the weather resistance and scratch resistance of bumper.

Special plastics: Heat-resistant acrylic resin (such as polymethacrylamide, PMI) is used as structural parts of aerospace and high-end equipment, which has the characteristics of light weight, high strength and high temperature resistance (it can be used above 120℃ for a long time) and is the key material for manufacturing aircraft wings and satellite components.

Iv. Textile and Leather Industry

Acrylic resin is mainly used for functional finishing in textile and leather processing to improve product performance and added value;

Textile printing and dyeing: water-based acrylic emulsion is used for fabric coating finishing, such as waterproof and breathable fabrics (outdoor clothes and sportswear), antifouling fabrics (table linen, curtains) and flame retardant fabrics (tooling and protective clothing), and the corresponding functions are realized by forming a film on the surface of the fabric; It can also be used as a binder for fabric printing paste, so that the printed pattern is firm, colorful and washable.

Leather processing: acrylic resin is used for leather finishing (shoe upper leather, sofa leather, car seat leather), which plays the role of filling, coloring and polishing, making the leather surface smooth, soft and shiny, and improving the wear resistance, water resistance and weather resistance of leather; It can also be used in the production of artificial leather and synthetic leather, and can be used as a base cloth coating material to simulate the texture of natural leather.

Five, building materials and decoration materials industry

In addition to coatings and adhesives, acrylic resin is also directly used to produce building materials:

Decorative board: acrylic board (PMMA) is used for interior decoration (such as ceiling, partition, background wall) and furniture accessories (such as desktop and cupboard door). It has rich colors and good light transmittance, and can be processed into various shapes, which is both decorative and practical. Compared with glass, acrylic sheet is lighter, impact-resistant and safer.

Waterproof material: Acrylate waterproof coating is a new type of environmentally-friendly waterproof material, which is used for waterproofing works in roofs, bathrooms, basements and other parts. It has the advantages of simple construction (roll coating and brush coating), good film forming, no seam and aging resistance. Compared with traditional coiled material waterproofing, it is more suitable for complex base structure.

Sealing and thermal insulation materials: the sealant modified by acrylic resin is used for sealing doors, windows and curtain walls of buildings, and the thermal insulation coating is used for wall insulation. After film formation, a dense thermal insulation layer is formed, which reduces indoor and outdoor heat transfer and energy consumption of buildings.

VI. Electronics and Optoelectronic Industries

With the rapid development of electronic industry, acrylic resin is widely used in electronic packaging, photoelectric display and other fields;

Electronic packaging: UV-cured acrylic resin is used for packaging semiconductor chips and LED lamp beads, with fast curing speed and excellent insulation performance, which can protect electronic components from moisture, dust and vibration and prolong service life; It can also be used as solder resist ink for printed circuit board (PCB) to prevent short circuit.

Photoelectric display: acrylic resin is used in optical films (such as brightness enhancement film and diffusion film) of liquid crystal display (LCD) and organic light emitting diode (OLED), which has the characteristics of high light transmittance, low haze and good temperature resistance, and can improve the brightness and clarity of display screen; In addition, it is also used as adhesive for touch screen to ensure touch sensitivity.

Electronic ink: Acrylic resin, as the binder of electronic ink, is used for ink-jet printing and screen printing, and is suitable for the production of electronic labels and flexible circuits. After film formation, it has strong adhesion and adjustable conductivity (after adding conductive fillers), which meets the high-precision requirements of electronic printing.

Seven, other industries

Daily chemical industry: acrylic resin is used in cosmetics (such as hair gel, mascara and nail polish). Acrylic resin emulsion in hair gel can shape hair, and it is easy to clean and does not damage hair quality. Acrylic resin in nail polish can improve the gloss and wear resistance of nail polish and make the color last forever.

Printing industry: Acrylic resin is used for printing ink (such as offset printing ink and gravure printing ink). As a binder, the pigment is evenly dispersed and firmly attached to the printing substrate (paper, plastic and metal), which improves the drying speed, weather resistance and color stability of the ink.

Medical industry: Medical-grade acrylic resin (conforming to the standards of biocompatibility) is used in the manufacture of medical devices (such as intraocular lenses, dental materials and medical catheters) and drug sustained-release carriers. It has good biocompatibility and no toxicity, and can exist stably in the human body without causing rejection.

To sum up, acrylic resin synthesis and processing has been deeply integrated into many pillar industries of national economy by virtue of its flexible performance customization ability and excellent comprehensive performance, and has become a key material to promote industrial upgrading and product innovation. With the tightening of environmental protection policy and the continuous progress of technology, the application proportion of water-based, light-cured and high-solid acrylic resins will continue to increase, further expanding its application scenarios in high-end manufacturing, new energy, biomedicine and other fields.