Alkali Soluble Thickeners
These are dispersions of acid functional acrylic polymers in water. They are supplied at low pH and the acid groups on the polymer chains need to be neutralised to allow the polymer to swell and thicken. Under acidic conditions the polymer has a tight, coil-like structure and after the addition of alkali to the system, the pH increases and the acid functional groups on the thickener begin to dissociate. As a result, the thickener becomes more water-soluble and starts to uncoil. As the pH increases further, the polymer takes on a more open long-chain structure, leading to entanglement of thickener molecules with each other.
Our range of Acrylic thickeners comprises of products with differing flow characteristics, thickening efficiencies and pH activation profiles.
Full details can be found in our product selection guide.