Choosing the Right Emulsion Polymer

How do you choose the right polymer emulsion for your project? You may not know it, but you aren't limited to the polymer solutions available from the big company manufacturers. Smaller companies can make specialized polymer solutions and blends on a custom basis and in the batch size you need. A company like MCP understands that most new projects require a custom polymer solution.

The Five Main Families of Synthetic Emulsion Polymers

There are five main types of synthetic polymer emulsions. Custom products and product blends can be made from any of these polymer families:

• Styrene-butadiene
• Acrylic
• Styrene-acrylic
• Vinyl-acetate
• Nitriles

What Can Be Done With These Polymer Families for Custom Projects?

If a company representative comes to you and says they want to make a water-based paint of a certain color, glossiness, and other characteristics, you will most likely begin by asking them to describe in detail what they need the paint product to do. You will also want to know on what type of surface the paint product will be applied and what environmental conditions it will be subjected to on a regular basis. How thick does it need to be? How many coats will be needed, and will it be being used to cover another coat of paint, or a bare material? All of these things will make a difference in what kind of paint you can make for the company.

If you only work with a large polymer emulsion supplier, you may find that you are not able to make the product this potential customer needs. After all, what the large manufacturers is limited and designed to appeal to the most common types of products.

You can go to a smaller manufacturer and get the solution you need to meet this particular potential customer's needs. The answers to their questions about the product they need will determine the type of chemistry that needs to be applied to make it. The synthetic emulsion polymer the customer needs will be made based on one or more of the five main families, in the correct amounts and strengths of each to create the product.

It may be an entirely unique product, but it will be just what the customer needs for their project. They will come back to you when they need other custom paints for other projects, and you will be able to meet their needs because you know the chemical company to go to in order to get the product made.

Adhesives and the Polymer Families

The same thing is true of adhesives that is true of paints. One important difference is that only a few of the five chemistry families of polymers can be used to make adhesives, whereas paints can be made from any of them. If a customer comes to you and wants an adhesive, such as one for carpet, you will need to ask similar questions to the ones asked about paint. In this case, the most important question is what type of material the adhesive must be applied to.

Other important questions are whether the adhesive needs to be pressure sensitive, and whether it will be used on clothing, industrial materials, housing materials, consumer goods, or something else that may have a unique need with regards to an adhesive. For example, adhesives that go on stickers or labels placed on fruits and vegetables must be safe for human consumption, since some of the adhesive is likely to stay behind on the food even when the label is removed. This is a unique adhesive need, especially in the organic foods industry.

Customization in the Polymers Industry

You always want to talk to an expert who is knowledgeable across all chemistries, not just a company that knows about one or a few chemistries. An expert who understands all the options is a must to be sure you get the product your customer wants. Mallard Creek Polymers has those experts available to talk to you whenever a custom project appears at your door.