Our water soluble polymers provide a host of benefits and functionality in a wide range of applications.
Gantrade’s Water Soluble Polymers complement our product offerings in the Coatings & Paints and Adhesives & Sealants Markets, and in other arenas that include Building & Construction and Oil Field Solutions. Our water soluble polymers function as modifiers for cementitious compounds and plasters, as binder resins for inorganic materials and as adhesives, waterproofing agents, rheology modifiers and fluid loss control agents.
We offer a broad line of VAE copolymers in both emulsion form and Redispersable Powders (VAE-RDPs, sometimes called “solid Latex”). Applications include the formulation of construction materials such as tile adhesives, grouts, finishing plasters, troweling compounds, thin set mortars and sealing slurries. The VAE resins are soft and flexible because of their relatively high ethylene contents. VAEs improve flex strength, crack resistance, adhesion, abrasion & impact resistance, and water repellency.
The VAE-RDPs can be directly incorporated into dry-mix formulations to affect improvements such as workability & water retention, plasticity, dispersion and freeze stability. The addition level of VAEs as modifiers in cements and plaster is about 2-10% depending on the improvement of strength, impact resistance, adhesion and water resistance required of the compound.
Our Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA, PVOH)) products are water soluble, non-toxic and biodegradable. They are dry solids, available in granule and powdered forms. PVA is an excellent adhesive with superior bonding strength, film forming and emulsifying properties. Films of PVA exhibit outstanding resistance to oil, grease and solvents. In addition to their film forming properties, they exhibit excellent adhesion to both hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials. PVA has been extensively used in the adhesives industry as the sole binder resin; in the textile industry for warp sizing and resin finishing; in paper industry for surface sizing and pigment coating; in the production of PVAc emulsion as protective colloid; as dispersion agents; and as binder for ceramics, magnet, foundry cores and pigments.
The most important properties in the majority of applications are the degree of polymerization and degree of hydrolysis. In our broad product line of PVOH resins, individual PVA grade vary in molecular weight (degree of polymerization) and degree of hydrolysis. Gantrade can assist in choosing the most appropriate grade of PVOH for your specific application.
Cement fluid loss is particularly critical in the petroleum industry operations known as cementing. Fine powder S-grades of PVOH are suitable for use as a fluid loss control additive in oil field cementing and drilling applications. When added to cement formulations, PVOH will reduce the loss of fluid from the slurry to the porous formations. The partially hydrolyzed PVOH is generally compatible with other components used in oil field. Differential solution characteristics can be achieved through variations in the degree of hydrolysis and the grade viscosities.
