Acrylic Polymers

What acrylic polymers are

Acrylic polymers in this catalogue are acrylic and methacrylic binders and acrylic-maleic copolymers made for leather finishing and wet-end fill. They are not commodity paint latexes. Dyna Glycols manufactures them to agreed solids, pH, film hardness and lightfastness so a tannery can specify a finish binder or a retanning acrylic by those numbers rather than a warehouse nickname.

Acrylic-maleic copolymers sit in the wet-end as filling and dye-leveling syntans. Acrylic and methacrylic emulsions sit in finishing as binders for grain, corrected grain and splits. The two duties are different: a retan acrylic is not a drop-in finish coat, and a finish binder is not a drum fill.

How Dyna Glycols manufactures acrylic polymers

Polymerisation is run to the target solids, pH and particle-size window, then finished for tannery floats or spray/curtain application. QA releases against appearance, solids, pH and the film or fill tests written on the TDS.

Custom softness, anionic character and formaldehyde-free finishing systems are quoted when a catalogue binder is close but not exact. Pair the acrylic with the lacquer and wax from the leather finishing pages so the season is sampled as a set.

Typical grades in this range

Start from the duty: wet-end copolymer versus finish binder. Open the leather finishing-binder and syntan pages for named grades.

• Acrylic-maleic copolymers for leather wet-end fill and dye-level
• Acrylic binders for grain and corrected-grain finish
• Methacrylic binders where a harder, more lightfast film is specified
• Custom solids, pH and film-hardness windows

Where acrylic polymers are used

Upholstery, shoe upper and garment crust use acrylic retans to keep grain fine and to improve wet-toggling. Lightfast pale articles often prefer acrylic fill over some vegetable extracts. Finish seasons use acrylic binders under nitrocellulose or polyurethane lacquers.

Do not specify these polymers as architectural paint binders. The catalogue is leather-led. If the need is an emulsion-polymerisation surfactant for adhesives or coatings, use the adhesive or paints pages instead.

How to specify acrylic polymers

State wet-end versus finish, required solids, pH, anionic or non-ionic character, film hardness or fill, and any limit on formaldehyde or APEO in the season. Share hide type and whether the leather will be milled, plated or spray-finished.

If replacing a competitor acrylic binder, send solids, pH and a hardness or elongation note from that TDS.

Quality, documents and supply

Lots are released against solids, pH, appearance and the film or application tests on the TDS. SDS and COA follow verification. Finish adhesion must be checked on the tannery grain after any cationic dye-fixer.

Protect emulsions from frost. Mix before use. Follow the SDS for concentrated binders.

Practical notes on acrylic polymers

A cationic surface from a dye fixer can block anionic acrylic finish. Drain and rinse before the binder coat, or reduce fixer dose on grain articles.

Lightfastness is a reason to choose acrylic retan on pale upholstery. Confirm the light-test method the brand uses.

Related pages: finishing binders, wet-end syntans, lacquers and wax emulsion. Sample the season together rather than one drum at a time.

Solids on the label are not the same as film yield. Ask for the recommended coat weight on the TDS.

Custom methacrylic ratios change hardness more than a small solids shift. Freeze the ratio once a trial lot is approved.

English is the source language for finish claims. Machine translation of solids or pH is not a specification.

Ordering and evaluating acrylic polymers

Send the application, the analytical window and the pack size when you request a laboratory sample of acrylic polymers. SDS, TDS and COA follow a short company check. Handle and store the grade as the SDS describes.