From Lab to Wall: Understanding the Acrylic Latex Polymer
The acrylic latex polymer is one of the critical building blocks for modern industrial chemistry, especially in a wide range of different coatings and paints. Acrylic polymers and emulsions are a vital ingredient for household, commercial, and industrial paints and coatings, imparting a number of beneficial properties and improving the overall performance of these products.
What does latex paint mean?
Acrylic paint and latex paint are two terms that tend to be set up against each other, but they actually mean the same thing–both are made up of synthetic polymers that, while they resemble natural latex, aren’t actually latex. Latex paints has become an umbrella term for any synthetic, water-based paints, including acrylics, vinyl acrylics, and more.
The Acrylic Polymer
An acrylic latex polymer is a synthetic polymer based off of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and its esters, known as acrylates. There are a number of different monomer building blocks available for the synthesis of acrylic polymer, which has made them one of the most versatile ingredients in the industry. Chemists are able to select the appropriate monomers in order to build acrylic polymers with very specific attributes, such as improved water resistance or superior adhesion. And, because of the variety of monomers to choose from, acrylic polymers are one of the most versatile types of ingredients for the paints and coatings industry.
Why Acrylic Polymers are Important for Coatings
Acrylic polymers offer significant advantages for latex paints, industrial coatings, pressure sensitive adhesives, textiles, and many other applications. These additives provide excellent resistance to blistering and cracking, as well as long-lasting UV resistance for exterior coatings. In addition to their ability to be customized for specific properties, acrylic polymers also offer good water resistance, a vital characteristic for both interior and exterior paints and coatings. . In adhesives, they provide the necessary properties needed for shipping labels, insulating tape, and lamination, to name a few.
Gellner Industrial LLC: The Premier Manufacturer of Water-Based Acrylic Resins
Gellner Industrial LLC has been a pioneer in the development of high performance water-based acrylic latex polymers, with over forty years of industry experience and a vast product knowledge to offer. For more information about all of our products, check out our website today.
