Polymer Library

Chemists sometimes describe latex as a colloidal dispersion that remains stable — i.e., the particles that make up the dispersion don’t settle or cream over time. This is accomplished by a combination of ionic and steric stabilization. Keep reading to understand how these two unique mechanisms work.

Chemists who make latexes generally start by understanding how the product will be used. That’s because the end-use application of an emulsion polymer has significant implications for how it’s designed. Knowing the end use helps the chemist develop the right recipe, with all of the right ingredients, that results in an...

It’s convenient to think of polymers as long chains, and, sometimes, that’s accurate. But polymers have a number of complex interactions — between monomers and between polymer chains — that result in recognizable architectures. These architectures can have tremendous impact on the properties of a polymer emulsion being...

Most people are familiar with the concept of melting point — the temperature at which a solid changes into a liquid state. But not all materials have a defined melting point. An amorphous polymer has a glass transition temperature, which is not a single temperature at all but a range of temperatures across which the...

A latex is a dispersion of polymeric particles or droplets in liquid, which sounds simple enough. But the chemistry, mechanics and processes used to create synthetic latex (also referred to as an emulsion polymer) are a bit more complicated. Read on for a comprehensive overview of the science of latex .

The Competitive Edge

In a crowded marketplace, it’s tough to introduce a new polymer-based innovation when your competitors are drawing from the same well of raw materials. The best way to set yourself apart from these competitors is to offer something unique — to build a custom synthetic polymer with an experienced team.

Understanding how a latex binder forms a film is critical to understanding how many modern products are made. That’s because so many products we use every day — coatings, adhesives, and composites — are made when wet latex is transformed into a final film material. Film formation is highly modifiable so that the final...

Winter will be here soon and MCP has you in mind. Water based emulsions will freeze at or below 32 °F, therefore MCP takes great care to ensure that shipments are not compromised due to winter weather conditions. Below are some of the ways we protect your product from our location to yours.

A chat with Rodney Rees (Technical Manager) of THOR Specialties, Inc.Contact: info@ThorSp.com      Website: www.thor.com

The world of water based emulsion polymers is all around us. Everything from paints, adhesives, and textiles to construction, paper, printing, and packaging are enhanced with these complex coatings.

The original version of this article can be found on ManufacturingInFocus.com by Pauline Müller. The article has been updated...

Water can degrade and destroy many types of building materials, and the damage doesn’t stop there. Leaks can lead to mold, severely compromising the health of building occupants over time due to exposure. While many will quickly grasp that water can cause significant damage on its own, other problems, like compromised air...

 Tykote® is a family of styrene-butadiene, styrene-acrylic and all-acrylic polymer products that may be used as bases for compounded functional coatings. Formulators apply Tykote® latex products on substrates used for a variety of packaging applications to provide a barrier or other desired properties.

You’ll see coatings...