Manufacturers of Polymer Dispersions

Worldwide there are far more than 500 companies producing and offering polymer dispersions. However, only 20 companies account for about half of the global market. The leading 3 suppliers - BASF, DOW Qiemical, Rohm and Haas - have an annual production capacity of more than 1 million metric tons (wet) and cover about 20 % of the world market In Fig. 1-10 major suppliers of polymer dispersions are listed in alphabetical order. The product lines are defined by the main monomers used. Acrylic dispersions include pure acryhcs and styrene acrylics, specialty dispersions consist of monomers like vinyl pyridine, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, chloroprene, etc.. The product lines as well as the information about the main application areas and the trade names were mainly taken from the company s web sites [22-49]. 

Company Product lines Applications Trade names 

Air Producte [1-22] VAc. EVA, A Adh, Coat, Con, l/GA, Pap, Tex Airbond, Airflex, Flexbond. Flexcryl, Valbond, Valtac, Vancryl, Vinac 

Avecia[1 -24] A. PU Adh, Coat, l/GA NeoCryl, NeoRes. NeoPac. NeoRad, Haloflex 

BASF [1-25] A. SB. PU, Sp Adh, Coat, Con, Pap, Tex Acronal, Basonal, Butofan, Butonal, DIotan, Emuldur, Luhydran, Luphen, Stvrofan, Styronal 

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Apart from water, the three main components required for the manufacture of polymer dispersions are (Gillatt, 1990) ... 

The manufacture of polymer dispersions is a complex multi-stage process involving a large number of raw materials and several stages as the example below (Table 4), for the production of a styrene-acrylic dispersion shows (CRI, 2002). 

Uses Foaming agent, emulsifier, dispersanL wetting agenf surfactant for the manufacture of polymer dispersions... 

The ceramic and zeolite membranes described above have been shown to have exceptional selectivities for a number of important separations. However, the membranes are not easy to make and consequently are prohibitively expensive for many separations. One solution to this problem is to prepare membranes from materials consisting of zeolite particles dispersed in a polymer matrix. These membranes are expected to combine the selectivity of zeolite membranes with the low cost and ease of manufacture of polymer membranes. Such membranes are called mixed-matrix membranes. 

Ghosh, I., Snyder, J., Vippagunta, R., Alvine, M., Vakil, R., Tong, W.Q., Vippagunta, S. Comparison of HPMC based polymers performance as carriers for manufacture of solid dispersions using the melt extruder. Int. J. Pharm. 2011,419(1-2), 12-19. 

Of course, the manufacture of polymers need not be carried out in solution emulsion polymerization has a long and honorable tradition in the field of macromolecular chemistry. This polymerization technique is performed using water-insoluble monomers, which are caused to form an emulsion with the aqueous phase by the addition of a surfactant. Polymerization may be effected by the use of a variety of radical generating initiating species, and the molecular weight of the polymer is controlled by the use of chain transfer agents and the concentration of initiator employed. The final polymer dispersion is often described as a latex, named after natural rubber, which is also an emulsion polymer ... 

Ghita OR, Beard MA, McCabe J, Bottom R, Richmond J, Evans KE (2008) A smdy into first and second order thermal transitions of materials using spectral-DSC. J Mater Sci 43 4988-4995 Ghosh I, Snyder J, Vippagunta R, Alvine M, Vakil R, Tong W-Q, Vippagunta S (2011) Comparison of HPMC based polymers performance as carriers for manufacture of sohd dispersions using... 

Polymerisation of one or more monomers is the basis of polymer dispersion manufacture. Many different monomers can be used depending on the end product required and its physical and chemical characteristics. Examples of monomers are listed in Table 1. 

Having considered the chemistry, manufacturing processes and applications of different types of polymer dispersions it is clearly indicated that their aqueous-based formulations provide, in the water phase, all the essential ingredients required for microorganisms to reproduce and flourish (Elsom, S.J., 1988 Evertsen, P.,... 

In general, for end uses where a polymer dispersion will be in contact with an environment conducive to the propagation of microbial infestation, a contaminated product cannot be ignored as a possible source of further contamination. All the effects detailed above, resulting from microbial spoilage of polymer dispersions, must be fully investigated in terms of product quality complaints because they can lead to significant economic loss to the manufacturer if products reach the consumer in a deteriorated condition. 

Many parts of polymer dispersion manufacturing plants (Figure 1) tend to be open to the atmosphere. In many locations, due to the nature of the chemicals used and the normally open filtration and sieving processes, are critical points at which microbial contamination may occur. 

One of the difficulties inherent in the evaluation of these products is the changing nature of polymer dispersions after manufacture. Often the reaction between added redox chemicals and residual monomer will continue for some time after the dispersion has been produced. 

An interesting practical example of this was seen by the author when visiting a manufacturer of polymer lattices [3]. The lattices were manufactured in one solvent, then dried off and afterwards re-dispersed in a different solvent. Unfortunately, some of the second solvent absorbed to a small extent into the polymer particles, but only very slowly. Hence the viscosity increased continuously over the next few days due to the swelling, but for no reason obvious to the manufacturer, since the small increase in size of the latex particles was immeasurable. 

Barbas, J.M., Machado, A.V., Covas, J.A., 2013. Evolution of dispersion along the extruder during the manufacture of polymer—organoclay nanocomposites. Chemical Engineering... 

Murai S, Kubota Y, Kitano A. Manufacture of polymer nanocomposites containing inorganic fillers with good dispersion. Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho, Jp, 2003261781 2003. 

The manufacturing of polymer electrolyte capacitors is facilitated significantly by PEDOTPSS dispersions because all process steps of the chemical or electrochemical polymerization can be substituted by simple coating steps. Since no chemical polymerization takes place during the manufacturing process of the capacitor, the process is easier to control and there are no side products like iron salts, which have to be washed out or which could deteriorate the performance in the finished product. Furthermore, waterborne... 

Uses Emulsifier for the manufacture of finely dispersed emulsion polymers Properties pH (10% sol n) 7.5-9.0 30% solids Use Level 0.5-5%... 

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