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Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) was obtained from the alkaline hydrolysis of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). Nonwoven membranes (mats) of PVOH nanofibers were produced by electrospinning of solutions of PVOH in water with and without aluminum chloride. The concentration of the PVOH/water solution was 12.4% w/v. The morphology of the mats was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal properties and the degree of crystallinity of the nanofibers were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC); the crystal structure of the mats was evaluated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The best nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning the PVOH/ water solution with aluminum chloride (45% w/v) in which an electrical field of 3.0 kV/cm was applied. It was observed that the addition of the aluminum chloride and the increase in the applied electrical field decreased the number-average nanofibers diameters. The mats without aluminum chloride had higher melting temperatures and higher degrees of crystallinity than the mats with the salt. The crystal structure of the mats was found to be monoclinic; however, the mats were neither highly oriented nor have a high degree of crystallinity.

This study investigates the influence of carboxylic monomers, such as itaconic acid (IA), on the colloidal properties of the latexes made by semicontinuous emulsion copolymerization of styrene (STy) with n-butyl acrylate (BA). A number of copolymerization runs were carried out with different IA concentrations. The effect of functional monomer on the overall conversion, the colloidal properties of the latexes, and the distribution of the carboxylic groups (buried, particle surface and aqueous phase) were examined. The carboxylic groups present in the latexes were analyzed using conductimetric and potentiometric titrations. The behavior of the IA on the wet scrub resistance of highly pigmented paints for architectural coatings was examined and correlated with the distribution of the carboxylic groups. The results obtained showed that the properties of highly pigmented paints are greatly dependent on the amount and distribution of the carboxylic groups. The carboxylic acid distributed in the aqueous phase has a strong influence on the wet scrub resistance and on the characteristics of the final products.

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