Fabrication of Novel Crosslinking Carboxylic Styrene-Acrylate Latices as Binders for Exterior Flexible Facing Tiles

To overcome the shortcomings of the temperature sensitivity of exterior flexible facing tiles (EFFIs), a series of crosslinking carboxylic styrene-acrylate (SA) latices were prepared via the semicontinuous seed emulsion polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), methacrylic acid (MAA), acrylic acid (AA), butyl acrylate (BA), and styrene (St), and were applied as binders to fabricate EFFTs with mineral powder. The obtained latices exhibited Bragg diffraction because of the narrow particle size distribution. Owing to the low dosage of emulsifiers and the crosslinking reaction between the epoxy group and the carboxyl group, the latex films displayed excellent water resistance, with water adsorption as low as 7.1%. The tensile test, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) test, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) indicated that at a GMA dosage of 4–6% the latex films had high mechanical strengths, which remained relatively stable in the temperature range of 10 to 40 °C. The optimal AA dosage was found in the range of 2 to 3%, at which the wet mixture exhibited good processability, conducive to forming an EFFT with a compact microstructure. Using the optimal SA latex, the obtained EFFT displayed a series of improved performances, including low water absorption, high mechanical strength, and stable self-supporting ability over a wide temperature range, exhibiting the application potential in the decoration and construction industries.