Classification of Mainstream Production Processes
Solution Polymerization
This is the most common method for producing acrylic matting resins. Using a solvent such as xylene, monomers and initiators are added dropwise at a steady rate while the mixture refluxes at approximately 140°C. Subsequently, the solvent is removed via vacuum distillation, and the product is cooled and pulverized to yield a solid resin. The resulting product offers stable performance and is suitable for powder coating applications.
Other Polymerization Methods
Emulsion polymerization yields water-based matting acrylic emulsions directly; self-matting effects are achieved by combining latex particles of varying sizes. Suspension polymerization and bulk polymerization are primarily used for producing general-purpose solid acrylic resins and are rarely employed directly for matting-grade products.
Key Process Control Points
The epoxy equivalent weight must be controlled at approximately 570 g/eq to prevent abnormal gloss levels or reduced flexibility (bending resistance).
The glass transition temperature (Tg) is designed to fall within the 50–90°C range to ensure both the matting effect and storage stability.
The reaction temperature is maintained at approximately 140°C to prevent monomer vaporization from interfering with the polymerization process.
