Importance of Emulsion Polymers

When one hears the word latex , one usually thinks of latex gloves. The natural mbber latex used in making gloves is one of the many different kinds of latexes present in common household products, including latex paints, floor polishes, paper, carpeting, nonwoven textiles, and adhesives. Latexes are often added or applied to commercial products with the intention of enhancing specific performance characteristics, including durability, chemical resistance, and dimensional stability (373). Latexes are also known as emulsion polymers, polymer dispersions, or polymer colloids. 

Latexes are liquids (typically aqueous) in which microscopic polymer particles are dispersed. Latexes start out as monomer emulsions (i.e., monomer droplets immiscibly dispersed in water). The emulsions are subsequently polymerised to form latexes. This polymerisation process is known as emulsion polymerisation. 

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