Polymer Colloids

Abstract

Typical industrial polymer colloids (also known as latexes) have 50–60% polymer content, with particles ranging in size from 100 nm to 250 nm in diameter dispersed in water. They are produced by the emulsion polymerization process, and are used for a wide range of industrial applications including paints, paper coatings, adhesives and carpet backing. Among these polymer colloids, styrene–butadiene copolymers, polyacrylates, and vinyl acetate homopolymers and copolymers account for 95% of the total production worldwide, which is expected to exceed 9 (dry) million metric tons in the year 2004. The polymer colloids transform into a polymer film upon drying at above the critical temperature, known as the minimum film forming temperature. Resultant films can be clear or opaque, hard or tacky, and plastic or elastic, depending upon the needs. Though the polymers are hardly visible, they provide critical properties in various industrial applications. This article discusses the relationship between three polymer parameters; electrokinetic properties, rheological properties and polymer particle morphology, as they correlate to industrial applications.

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