Presenters Name: James Manikath
Employment Title: Technical Manager
Company: Luxury Paints
Biography:
Presentation Title: A layperson’s method to characterise polymers in latexes
Presentation Abstract: A closer look at the interaction of polymer membranes from water-borne latexes with coalescents and other solvents was undertaken. From that study a simple test method to characterise polymers in water-borne latexes used in coatings has been streamlined. The method came to light from a study of the transport of solvents through polymer membranes. The solvents used are commonly used coalescing solvents; like Texanol, Butyl Carbitol etc. and non-coalescing solvents like Xylene. The study aims to reveal comparative efficiency of the polymer membranes to act as barrier materials in various environments, as well as the effectiveness of the solvents to act as coalescent. The study throws light on the comparative cross-link density and chemical resistance of these polymers. This line of study would provide some insight for the development of waterborne industrial coatings and add on to other tests currently used in selecting the most suitable polymer for some speciality applications. The method and results are expected to act as a template for further studies.
