polyacrylic compound
Quick Summary
Polyacrylates are synthetic resins created by polymerizing acrylic esters. These versatile compounds are used in paints, adhesives, and textiles, and can be produced to be hard, transparent, soft, or resilient. Common examples include polyethyl acrylate and polymethyl acrylate.123
Acrylic esters are derived from acrylic acid, which is produced by oxidizing propylene. The process of esterification replaces the hydrogen atom in acrylic acid's carboxyl group with an organic group, such as methyl or ethyl. These monomers then link together to form long polymer chains. Polyacrylates can be modified by copolymerizing with other monomers to create specialty materials like acrylic paints or elastomers.13
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
