A Beginner’s Guide to Acrylic Polymers
If you know anything about Gellner industrial, you’ll know acrylic polymers are our bread and butter. But how much do you actually know about acrylic polymers? It is not something that comes up in normal conversation, but here at Gellner Industrial, it comes up all the time! In this blog post, we will describe, in layman’s term exactly what an acrylic polymer is, what we use them for and how they relate to you and your commercial or personal needs.
Acrylic polymers can also be referred to as acrylates. Acrylates are a group of polymers related to vinyl polymers. Acrylates are made up of acrylate monomers. But do you know what a monomer is? Don’t worry, many people don’t! A monomer is a molecule that binds chemically with other monomers to create a polymer, such as in the case of the creation of acrylic polymers. The process in which monomers chemically bind with other monomers in large number to create polymers is a term referred to as polymerization. To break it down even more, an acrylate monomer is usually an ester. An ester is a compound derived from an organic or inorganic acid in which one –OH (hydroxyl) group is replaced by an –O–alkyl group. The acrylate monomer is an ester that contains a number of vinyl groups, which are carbon atoms double-bonded to each other. Some polymers contain free acid or acrylic acid, even. Some acrylates have an extra methyl group attached to them and subsequently, they are referred to as methacrylates.
If you look at an acrylic or acrylate polymer under a microscope, you will see two different distinct parts of it. It has a carboxylic group and alternatively, it has the group that contains a double bond.
So enough science- what are acrylic polymers useful for? Well as you can see on the Gellner Industrial website, they are incredibly multifaceted entities. They can serve in being a quality coating for vinyl and the many subsequently vinyl applications therein, or they can become acrylic paints, which are used by a number of different artists on a number of mediums for a number of different artistic ends. Acrylic polymers go beyond vinyl applications, however. They provide a variety of quality coatings for a number of entities in the industrial world. The plastic film they entail is extremely resistant. Additionally, acrylic polymers have great potential in being used as synthetic resins. As well, all of the WonderWet Products are acrylic polymer emulsions that can be used as an additive to paint.
No matter what you are looking to do with acrylic polymers, whether it be for your painting company or your own household need, look no further than the quality polymer products offered at Gellner Industrial.
