Polymers in paint

The range of monomers available and copolymeiization in varying compositional blends makes the number of possible polymer variants immense. Acrylic and styrene-acrylic copolymers are the most widely used polymers in paints and other coatings. According to Lesko " acrylic polymers account for 30% of commercial emulsion polymers. Other polymers commonly used in film forming latices are polychloroprene and poly(vinyl acetate). Polystyrene-cobutadiene latices are mixed with cement and sand to form rubberized cement, as well as being used as additives in textiles and paper industries, and in the manufacture of foam rubber. 

The particles in the air over an urban area are of a variety of sizes, shapes and chemical composition, ranging from tiny, spherical metal particles from metallurgical fumes to huge, porous conglomerates of sooty carbon, soil particles, fly ash, and fly dust of all types.The size and shape of the particles will almost totally determine the surface corrosion of polymers, plastics, the polymer in paints and lacquers. The important question is how these particles behave in the air, how far and how fast the wind carry them, and what effects they can have on polymeric materials. 

Polyester is a very broad term that encompasses both thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. In paint formulations, only thermosetting polyesters are used. Polyesters used in coatings are formed through ... 

The adsorption of surfactants onto a clean nonpolar surface must occur with the hydrophilic group oriented outward into the aqueous phase. Adsorption, therefore, will always result in an increase in the hydrophilic character of the surface. Such action is responsible for the generally increased dispersibility of materials such as carbon black in aqueous surfactant systems, and the stability of aqueous latex polymers in paints. The action of surfactant adsorption onto colloidal surfaces can be useful to destabilize as well as stabilize systems. It may be useful, for example, to break an aqueous dispersion, to isolate the dispersed material, or to facilitate the process of separating dispersed solids in the sewage treatment process, although polymers and polyvalent cation salts are most commonly employed in such... 

The presence of the unsaturated substituent along this polyester backbone gives this polymer crosslinking possibilities through a secondary reaction of the double bond. These polymers are used in paints, varnishes, and lacquers, where the ultimate cross-linked product results from the oxidation of the double bond as the coating cures. A cross-linked polyester could also result from reaction (5.J) without the unsaturated carboxylic acid, but the latter would produce a gel in which the entire reaction mass solidified and is not as well suited to coatings applications as the polymer that crosslinks upon drying. ... 

Acrylates are primarily used to prepare emulsion and solution polymers. The emulsion polymerization process provides high yields of polymers in a form suitable for a variety of appHcations. Acrylate polymer emulsions were first used as coatings for leather in the eady 1930s and have found wide utiHty as coatings, finishes, and binders for leather, textiles, and paper. Acrylate emulsions are used in the preparation of both interior and exterior paints, door poHshes, and adhesives. Solution polymers of acrylates, frequentiy with minor concentrations of other monomers, are employed in the preparation of industrial coatings. Polymers of acryHc acid can be used as superabsorbents in disposable diapers, as well as in formulation of superior, reduced-phosphate-level detergents. 

Emulsion Adhesives. The most widely used emulsion-based adhesive is that based upon poly(vinyl acetate)—poly(vinyl alcohol) copolymers formed by free-radical polymerization in an emulsion system. Poly(vinyl alcohol) is typically formed by hydrolysis of the poly(vinyl acetate). The properties of the emulsion are derived from the polymer employed in the polymerization as weU as from the system used to emulsify the polymer in water. The emulsion is stabilized by a combination of a surfactant plus a coUoid protection system. The protective coUoids are similar to those used paint (qv) to stabilize latex. For poly(vinyl acetate), the protective coUoids are isolated from natural gums and ceUulosic resins (carboxymethylceUulose or hydroxyethjdceUulose). The hydroHzed polymer may also be used. The physical properties of the poly(vinyl acetate) polymer can be modified by changing the co-monomer used in the polymerization. Any material which is free-radically active and participates in an emulsion polymerization can be employed. Plasticizers (qv), tackifiers, viscosity modifiers, solvents (added to coalesce the emulsion particles), fillers, humectants, and other materials are often added to the adhesive to meet specifications for the intended appHcation. Because the presence of foam in the bond line could decrease performance of the adhesion joint, agents that control the amount of air entrapped in an adhesive bond must be added. Biocides are also necessary many of the materials that are used to stabilize poly(vinyl acetate) emulsions are natural products. Poly(vinyl acetate) adhesives known as "white glue" or "carpenter s glue" are available under a number of different trade names. AppHcations are found mosdy in the area of adhesion to paper and wood (see Vinyl polymers). 

Viscoelastic Measurement. A number of methods measure the various quantities that describe viscoelastic behavior. Some requite expensive commercial rheometers, others depend on custom-made research instmments, and a few requite only simple devices. Even quaHtative observations can be useful in the case of polymer melts, paints, and resins, where elasticity may indicate an inferior batch or unusable formulation. Eor example, the extmsion sweU of a material from a syringe can be observed with a microscope. The Weissenberg effect is seen in the separation of a cone and plate during viscosity measurements or the climbing of a resin up the stirrer shaft during polymerization or mixing. 

Paint Driers and Polymer Additives. Paints based on alkyd resins (qv) dry by the oxidation and cross-linking of unsaturated side chains. Metal catalysts are included in paint formulations to promote this drying. Cerium carboxylates, eg, the naphthenate, are used as through driers, ie, to promote drying in the body of the paint film rather than at the film s surface (44). 

Emulsions Emulsions have particles of 0.05 to 5.0 [Lm diameter. The product is a stable latex, rather than a filterable suspension. Some latexes are usable directly, as in paints, or they may be coagulated by various means to produce massive polymers. Figures 23-23d and 23-23 show bead and emulsion processes for vinyl chloride. Continuous emulsion polymerization of outadiene-styrene rubber is done in a CSTR battery with a residence time of 8 to 12 h. Batch treating of emulsions also is widely used. 

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) L S A Lubricants and hydraulic fluids Pesticides Plasticizer in paint and polymers Plasticizer (polymers) Transformer oils... 

Emulsion polymerization is widely used to produce polymers in the form of emulsions, such as paints and floor polishes. It also used to polymerize many water insoluble vinyl monomers, such as styrene and vinyl chloride. In emulsion polymerization, an agent emulsifies the monomers. Emulsifying agents should have a finite solubility. They are either ionic, as in the case of alkylbenzene sulfonates, or nonionic, like polyvinyl alcohol. 

Silicone polymers having high heat stability and excellent chemical resistance are available. They are very expensive and hence are not commonly found in paint coatings. 

Organic materials Corrosive vapours are sometimes emitted by organic materials used either in packaging or in the manufactured article, and may be troublesome in confined spaces. Some woods, particularly unseasoned oak and sweet chestnut, produce acetic acid (see Section 18.10), and certain polymers used in paints, adhesives and plastics may liberate such corrosive vapours as formic acid and hydrogen sulphide . It may be necessary to carry out exposure trials, particularly where materials capable of liberating formaldehyde or formic acid are involved. Most corrosion problems of this kind can be prevented by using desiccants, and in many cases they are confined to imperfectly cured materials. For an excellent review see Reference 9. 

Approximately 2.5 million tons of acetic acid is produced each year in the United States for a variety of purposes, including preparation of the vinyl acetate polymer used in paints and adhesives. About 20% of the acetic acid synthesized industrially is obtained by oxidation of acetaldehyde. Much of the remaining 80% is prepared by the rhodium-catalyzed reaction of methanol with carbon monoxide. 

This is a modification of emulsion polymerisation which has recently been developed for the manufacture of commercially important latexes for emulsion paints. In this process instead of producing the polymer in batches in a tank polymer is produced continuously in a reactor that consists of a continuous tube coiled to a convenient shape. 

Another commercially important crosslinking process that involves unsaturated polymer precursors is the so-called drying of alkyd resins in paints. This process is not drying at all, at least not in the sense of mere loss of solvent to leave behind a solid residue. Instead, the main process is the conversion of high relative molar mass molecules to a crosslinked structure via... 

There are numerous applications where the development of high viscosity is necessary in a finished product. For example, thickeners, mainly based on poly(acrylic acid), are used to give body to so-called emulsion paints. Emulsion paints are not formulated from true emulsions (Le. stable dispersions of organic liquids in water), but are prepared from latexes, that is, dispersions of polymer in water. Since latexes do not contain soluble polymers, they have a viscosity almost the same as pure water. As such, they would not sustain a pigment dispersion, but would allow it to settle they would also fail to flow out adequately when painted on to a surface. Inclusion of a thickener in the formulation gives a paint in which the pigment does not settle out and which can readily be applied by brush to a surface. 

The commercial process for the production of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) has evolved over the years. In the 1930s, Wacker developed a process based upon the gas-phase conversion of acetylene and acetic acid over a zinc acetate carbon-supported catalyst. This chemistry and process eventually gave way in the late 1960s to a more economically favorable gas-phase conversion of ethylene and acetic acid over a palladium-based silica-supported catalyst. Today, most of the world s vinyl acetate is derived from the ethylene-based process. The end uses of vinyl acetate are diverse and range from die protective laminate film used in automotive safety glass to polymer-based paints and adhesives. 

A useful way of classifying chemicals is shown in Fig. 2.1. Chemicals are divided on the basis of volume and character. Bulk chemicals, or commodities, are produced in large quantities and sold on the basis of an industry specification. There is essentially no difference in the product from different suppliers. Typical examples would be acetone, ethylene oxide, and phenol. Pseudo commodities are also made in large quantities but are sold on the basis of their performance. In many cases the product is formulated and properties can differ from one supplier to another. Examples include large volume polymers, surfactants, paints, etc. 

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