Water-resin adhesives natural polymers

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). 

Natural resins are generally described as solid or semisolid amorphous, fusible, organic substances that are formed in plant secretions. They are usually transparent or translucent yeUow-to-brown colored, and are soluble in organic solvents but not in water. The principal uses for natural resins are in varnishes, printing inks, adhesives, paper size, and polymer compositions. The term natural resins includes tree and plant exudates, fossil resins, mined resins, and shellac. They often have been altered from their original state during isolation and processing. For some appHcations, the resins have been chemically modified to increase their industrial utiUty. 

The mechanism of adhesion is also an important factor in failure analysis in composites [31]. Some adhesives work due to a physical entanglement of the resin into the wood structure whereas others require a free hydroxyl group on one of the cell wall polymers to participate in a chemical reaction with the resin. Substitution of hydroxyl groups was shown to decrease adhesion between chemically modified veneers due to the loss of hydroxyl functionality [32]. Resins that are water-soluble and depend on a hydrophilic substrate for penetration will be less efficient in chemically modified wood due to the decreased hydrophilic nature of the celt wall resulting from modification [33]. 

Another important aspect is the moisture content of natural fibres. These fibres are hydrophilic and absorb water. The moisture content can be as high as 20%, but in most cases it will be in the range of 5-10%. Lack of good interfacial adhesion with the polymer phase, due to the inherently poor compatibility and the ability of the hydrophilic cellulose fibres to disperse with the hydrophobic resins, makes the use of cellulose-based fibre-reinforced composites less attractive. During processing, the presence of water can create voids in the matrix and also lead to a poor adhesion of the fibres with the hydrophobic resin. The hydrophilic nature of natural fibres can be a problem in the finished composites as well. 

Basic raw materials are natural and synthetic polymers or monomers and prepolymers which can form such polymers. The polymers primarily impart the required strength (cohesion) to the adhesive layer. In many cases, however, they have adequate adhesion properties of their own. The adhesion properties may be improved by addition of resins or special adhesion promoters. Plasticizers and resins improve the flexibility of the polymers, increase the tack of the adhesives, or establish other required product properties, e.g., rheological properties. Rheological and other special properties can be influenced by adding fillers. Polymers are often dissolved in water or an organic solvent to achieve the wetting necessary for good adhesion. 

Solutions of Natural and Synthetic Polymers in Water. Aqueous Stank- and Dextrin-Based Adhesives. The starch- and dextrin-based adhesives reached their zenith between 1920 and 1935. Since then, they have been increasingly superseded by synthetic resin-based adhesives, and they are now important only in certain applications. However, they are still used in considerable quantities for applications such as labeling adhesives, paper-sack adhesives, and envelope gums. 

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