Synthetic Latex Manufacture Latex Properties

Latices are colloidal dispersions of discrete polymer particles, usually in an aqueous medium. Technology used to make and use latex involves many aspects of colloidal and polymer chemistry. This article reviews the fundamentals of emulsion polymerization, the techniques used to make most synthetic latices, general properties of latices, as well as colloidal and polymer compounding ingredients to convert latices into useful products, and discusses the wide variety of applications in which latices are used.