Incorporating Hydrophobic Cellulose Nanocrystals inside Latex Particles via Mini‐Emulsion Polymerization

Abstract Hydrophobic cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are encapsulated inside poly(butyl acrylate/vinyl acetate/acrylic acid) latex particles via mini‐emulsion polymerization (MEP). To achieve a genuine MEP, the effects of the concentration of surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate/Disponil A3065) and a hydrophobic agent (octadecyl acrylate (ODA)) are optimized in the presence of 0.5 wt% CNC. Using a combination of surfactant and ODA concentrations leading to a particle nucleation method restricted to the monomer droplets, the effects of CNC loading up to 1.5 wt% on the polymerization process and final nanocomposite properties are studied. Despite an increase in particle size and a lower rate of polymerization at higher CNC loadings, the droplet nucleation mechanism remains dominant up to 1.25 wt% CNC loading. Pressure‐sensitive adhesive (PSA) performance for nanocomposites produced using hydrophobic CNCs in MEP decreases whereas performance improves considerably when using hydrophilic and partially hydrophobic CNCs in conventional emulsion polymerization. These results shed light on emulsion polymerization technique selection and CNC surface properties for greener industrial production of water‐based PSAs.