ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with organic polymers that are manufactured or supplied as dispersions themselves and are mainly used to modify the properties of other more complex dispersions for industrial use. It briefly describes the manufacturing and specific characteristics of the polymeric dispersions, and also describes their application in industrial practice. Polymers can be produced by condensation polymerization or addition polymerization. The specialized water-based dispersions of polymers formed the basis of the modern, high-tech water-based printing inks, which are themselves specialized dispersions. Water-based resins divide into three distinct types: totally water-soluble polymers, aqueous alkali-soluble polymers, and aqueous dispersions of polymers. Like all other printing systems, the aqueous pigment dispersions used as colorants must be thickened to achieve well-defined uniform prints. Liquid dispersions of acrylic polymers have recently found application in prepasted wallcoverings. Liquid dispersions of alkali-swellable acrylic polymers are coated on the wallcovering substrate by conventional printing equipment, namely, flexographic, gravure, or rotary screen printing presses or reverse roller coater.
