Preparation of silver‐coated thermally expandable microspheres and their application in antistatic polyacrylate foam materials

Abstract

AbstractIn order to prevent electrostatic discharge from affecting the normal operation of organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) displays, this study has devised a novel method to produce antistatic polyacrylate foam materials. First, the surface of thermally expandable microspheres (EMs) was functionalized using hydroxylamine, followed by chemical silver coating on the microsphere surfaces to create a highly conductive silver layer, and achieved ester‐based functionalization of silver‐coated EMs. Subsequently, they were introduced into polyacrylate foam, where the silver layer on the microsphere's surface was used to construct an electrostatic discharge pathway, endowing the foam material with excellent antistatic properties. SEM and EDS were employed to confirm the formation of uniform and dense silver layers on microsphere surfaces. The optimal amount of silver nitrate has been determined. Through SEM observations of foam materials' cross‐sections, it was determined that ester‐based functionalization enhanced the dispersion of silver‐coated EMs, facilitating the formation of uniform foam pores. The volume resistivity of silver‐coated EMs was measured at 1.38 Ω·cm. The surface resistivity of the modified polyacrylate foam decreased by seven orders of magnitude to 1.2 × 105 Ω, demonstrating excellent antistatic performance. This holds significant importance for the development of novel foams with antistatic performance.