Surfactant-activated microgels: a new pathway to rheology modification

Alkali swellable microgels are widely used to control rheology of formulated products containing surfactants. However, formulations based on these pH-responsive polymers show undesirably large changes in yield stress in a range of pH close to the pKa of the acid group. Analysis of the behavior of a cross-linked copolymer of ethyl acrylate and methacrylic acid in the nonionized form (at pH below the pKa of methacrylic acid) in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate shows surfactant-mediated swelling (an increase in particle diameter by over 2.5×) and a peak in zero-shear viscosity versus surfactant concentration indicating surfactant-mediated interaction of the swollen microgels. On the basis of these results, we demonstrate a new class of nonionic microgels composed of hydrophobic alkyl acrylates and hydrophilic hydroxyalkyl esters that utilize the effects of surfactant-mediated swelling and interaction to provide pH-independent rheological properties.