Applicable Base Polymer Properties
Polychloroprene lattices have not widely replaced solvent based contact cements as originally thought. It takes a waterborne adhesive much longer to dry, and if force dried the energy used is an added cost. The autohesion properties of water based polychloroprene adhesives provide lower initial strength and make bonding at low pressures difficult. Also the heat and moisture resistance of these adhesives is generally lower than their solvent based counterparts because of the presence of surface active ingredients. However, significant development work has occurred over the last several years to minimize these problems.