How to Add Hydrophobic Liquid Ingredients into Latex?

Manufacturer: We need to add some liquid ingredients into our latex compounds but some of these oily liquids are not compatible with the latex. We have tried emulsifying the liquid with surfactants but have not produced a workable result. Please advise us how we should approach this problem.


John Woon (Senior Latex Consultant): Hydrophobic liquid compounding ingredients such as some accelerators, antioxidants and plasticisers has to be made into stable oil-in-water emulsions first before use. Also, a good recipe with the right surfactants alone would not work. You need to have a good homogeniser to give a high-intensity shear, such as a Silverson homogeniser, colloid mill and Gaulin homogeniser which could give the required "cavitation" to shatter the the oil globules as the result of high velocity and sudden exposure to low pressure.

Some resinous tackifiers can be dissolved in a solvent before emulsification.

 

A detailed procedure including guide formulations have been sent to you separately.