Applicable Base Polymer Properties
Polymer latexes or dispersions consist of very small polymer particles (0.05 to 5 μm in diameter) dispersed in water. Polymeric latexes can be homopolymers or copolymers. They are usually produced by emulsion polymerization processes and, as a result, they consist of more materials than only the base polymer (e.g., surfactants, defoamers, mildewcides, etc.) These additives also will have an effect on the resulting properties of the mortar or concrete. Most commercial polymer latexes for polymer-modified cements contain antifoaming agents, and generally can be used without the addition of antifoaming agents during mixing.