Effects of different ratios of soft and rigid segment on the properties of soil and sand fixing materials of polyacrylate

Abstract Four polyacrylate materials with different mass ratios of soft and rigid segment were made by semi-continuous pre-emulsified seed emulsion polymerization. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) and butyl acrylate (BA) were used as soft and rigid segments, and acrylic acid (AA) was used as the functional segment. The composite emulsifiers were composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and alkylphenol polyoxyethylene ether (OP-10). In this study, we successfully fabricated polyacrylate (PA). The morphology of the latex particles was spherical, with a diameter of ∼200 nm. With the increase of BA content, the glass transition temperature ( T g ) of PA decreased. The PA curing agent could significantly improve the soil’s mechanical property and water resistance. The compressive strength of PA-1 solidified soil increased to 2.67 MPa, which 187 % higher than the pure soil sample (PA-0). Meanwhile, PA-1 solidified soil would not break down after being immersed in water for 30 days. This indicated that PA emulsion had an efficient solidification ability and a good water resistance, which was beneficial to sand fixation and slope protection.