The Role of Acrylic Polymers in Mildew-Resistant Coatings

Mildew and other mold stains are the bane of basements across the country, especially in environments that are particularly humid or susceptible to flooding. Mildew might be a more superficial type of mold, but it still is hazardous to both the integrity of the walls and the health of any occupants. They do no favors to the aesthetics of the room either, ruining paint and drywall, and overall creating a basement that is no longer safe for habitation. 

Gellner Industrial took on the challenge of developing acrylic polymers that could be used in formulating mildew-resistant primers and coatings. Mildew is a category of mold stains that are more superficial than other types, making it a little easier to remove and prevent, but still challenging to deal with. We’d been in the coatings industry for decades, and wanted to develop a polymer that worked–one that resisted stains from mildew, bacterial growth, and several other conditions, stains that are typically hard to prevent. So over the years, we developed several cationic emulsion polymers that could be used to develop paints and primers for these environments.

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The cationic nature of these particular acrylic polymers, like Ottopol KO, offers a natural barrier to fungal and bacterial growth even in damp or humid conditions. Cationic surfactants are a popular and highly effective way to eliminate any type of microbial contamination, and our cationic polymers offer a similar resistance, entirely blocking mildew and resisting other contaminants. 

• Ottopol K-672: This hydroxyl functional cationic polymer crosslinks with epoxy silanes to form a film that is highly resistant to a variety of stains, including mildew mold stains. 

• Ottopol KO: Ottopol KO is a high-performance acrylic polymer that can block tannin oil stains, mold stains, water stains, mildew growth, and much more. If applied to a substrate that is already stained, KO entirely blocks the stain from fading into the paint. 

We have a number of cationic emulsion polymers that offer alkali resistance, rust conversion, and stain blocking properties. If you’re interested in learning more about these or any of our emulsion polymers, feel free to visit our website. 

About Gellner Industrial, LLC

Gellner Industrial is a premiere manufacturer of water-based acrylic polymers used in a variety of inks, coatings, paints, and adhesives. If you’re interested in any of our products, you can head over to our website to view our full directory or contact us with any questions or requests that you may have.