Chemicals & Polymers Blog

N-butyl acrylate (BA) is the largest-volume acrylate ester used in the production of all-acrylic, vinyl acrylic and styrene acrylic copolymers.  BA offers price-value and accounts for about 60 percent of the global acrylic ester monomer demand, with a consumption volume of over 2,000 kilo tons.  

For over 45 years, Gantrade has built lasting relationships worldwide, based on our ability to deliver quality products like BA consistently and cost-effectively. Let's take a look at why BA holds a special place in the market for acrylate esters.

What is Ethylhexyl Acrylate used for in polymers? 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate (2-EHA ) is a highly versatile building block that readily copolymerizes with a wide variety of other acrylic and vinyl monomers to tailor specific high molecular weight copolymer properties for a diverse range of non-rigid applications. 

Water-based acrylic binders meet environmental requirements for the absence of VOCs, in addition to low toxicity and odor.  The diversity of acrylic systems available can be designed to meet binder applications across the spectrum of substrates and printing technologies.  Binders should form films smoothly and easily at ambient temperatures.  Binders can be readily designed that have a range of Tgs and surface hardness, from low Tgs for flexible surfaces to high Tgs for rigid substrates.  The diversity of acrylic monomers and vinyl monomers allow this to be accomplished while meeting other requirements for fast-drying properties, adhesion, water and abrasion resistance, and gloss.  The addition of low levels of isopropanol in ink formulations reduces the surface energy of the system, improving ink leveling, thickness, and density control on plastics.   

The leading crosslinking technology for acrylic emulsion polymers is ambient temperature crosslinking chemistry based on diacetone acrylamide (DAAM) and adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH) monomers. This technology, known as “keto-hydrazide crosslinking,” involves the direct reaction of the pendant ketone moiety on the DAAM-acrylic polymer segment with the hydrazide moiety of the ADH, with the evaporation of water in the film-forming process. 

The highest adoption of this ambient temperature, self-crosslinking technology has been in high-durability paints and coatings for architecture, wood and concrete surfaces, and more. The DAAM/ADH pair is also used in crosslinkable sizing agents, thickeners, adhesives, and sealants.

At Gantrade, we offer a variety of caprolactone-modified (meth)acrylate monomers. The caprolactone-modified acrylates (FA-series) and methacrylates (FM-series) are reactive oligomeric monomers containing caprolactone chains with a primary hydroxyl end-functionality.  

Methyl acrylate (MA) is the fourth most-used of the basic acrylic esters for production of acrylic and vinyl-acrylic resins, surpassed only by butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate and 2-ethylhexylacrylate.  As the lowest-molecular weight member of the homologous acrylic ester family, MA also finds uses as a starting material for the synthesis of other acrylates and derivatives ( these often involve transesterification reactions, or “Michael Additions” to the acrylic double-bond). 

Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) is a significant intermediate used in the production of a wide range of resins and polymers for paints & coatings, adhesives, glues & sealants, elastomers, textile finishes, paper coatings, binders, films, and a myriad of other industrial and consumer applications.  It efficiently homo-polymerizes to polyvinyl acetate (PVA),  and VAM can be used in numerous random copolymers and terpolymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl-acrylic resins, vinyl acetate-acrylic acid copolymers, and vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride copolymers.  With the wide diversity of polymerization options, VAM has allowed the design of products with a wide spectrum of cost and performance profiles.

Glacial Acrylic Acid Monomer, commonly known by the acronym GAA, is an unsaturated carboxylic acid co-monomer used by Gantrade customers as a building block to produce acid-functional and crosslinked acrylic copolymers and polyacrylic acids. These copolymers and polyacrylic acids are then used to optimize a number of products including finishes, coatings, adhesives, sealants, inks, flocculants, thickeners, dispersing agents, lubricants, saturants and plastics. 

Glacial acrylic acid (GAA) and glacial methacrylic acid (GMAA) are polymerizable, unsaturated, monocarboxylic acid monomers.  Virtually all acrylic copolymers produced commercially contain either of these two monomers at some level, depending on the specific attributes desired in the copolymers.

N-butyl methacrylate (n-BMA) is a versatile, plasticizing methacrylate monomer used in the production of homopolymers, copolymers and products that we see and use in everyday life.

As a homopolymer, we see poly (n-BMA) used in adhesives and as a polymeric plasticizer for harder resins.  Copolymer applications include water-borne industrial and architectural paints, textiles, paper & leather coatings, wood coatings, adhesives, inks, caulks, and sealants.  N-BMA also demonstrates flexibility, durability, UV, and moisture resistance in exterior decorative paints and automotive finishes.

In solvent based systems, it improves solubility of the copolymer resin.  Copolymers with methyl methacrylate (MMA), exhibit enhanced flexibility and toughness without the need for a plasticizer.