Novel associative polymers for environmentally friendly coating applications

The main focus of our research was on a class of associating polyelectrolytes that are prepared as latex particles and swell when exposed to a base. A series of Hydrophobic Alkali-Soluble Emulsion (HASE) polymers were prepared by Dow Chemicals (formerly Union Carbide) and studied by the battery of techniques. We have demonstrated the power of combining fluorescence and rheology experiments to study the unique behaviour of these polymer solutions