Film Formation

Abstract

One of the main features of a polymer latex to be used in a coating formulation, is its film forming behavior. The film formation process is of considerable industrial importance, since most of the applications of polymer latexes require the formation of a continuous film with high mechanical strength, toughness or scrub resistance. These applications, in which the polymer latex is thus used as a water-based binder, currently encompass various fields such as adhesives, paper coatings, paints, varnishes, carpet backing and textile sizing. Furthermore, the range of applications of these materials widens continuously as worldwide efforts are being made to reduce the volatile organic content of coating materials.