How It's Made
Key facts
- Name on labels (INCI)
- Styrene-Acrylic Emulsion
- Also called
- Acrylic emulsion, Styrene-acrylic emulsion, Latex binder, Acrylic polymer dispersion
- Grade to ask for
- Styrene-acrylic, about 50% solids
A milky liquid of tiny plastic beads in water.
What it does
- Film former
- Turns into a solid film that binds pigment and filler particles together and to the surface.
- Adhesion and durability
- Determines how well the paint grips, how washable and scrub-resistant it is, and how it weathers.
- Flexibility
- Lets the film move with the substrate without cracking, important on exterior masonry.
Products on How It's Made that use acrylic binder
| Product | Its role there |
|---|---|
| Emulsion paint | Binder. The binder. Tiny polymer particles fuse into a continuous film as the water leaves, holding the pigment on the wall and giving washability. |
| Textured masonry | Binder. Binds the sand and marble into a flexible, weather-resistant layer that holds on to masonry and resists rain. |
On How It's Made, acrylic binders are used in emulsion paint and textured masonry paint.
Grades and specifications
- Styrene-acrylic
- Good performance at moderate cost; the workhorse of interior and many exterior emulsions.
- Pure acrylic
- Better UV and weather resistance for premium exterior paints.
- Vinyl acetate (PVA) and VAE
- Lower-cost binders used in economy interior paints.
- Specification
- Buyers check solids content (often about 50%), minimum film-forming temperature, particle size, pH and viscosity.
Handling, safety and regulation
Water-based emulsions must be protected from freezing and from high heat, and stored within shelf life because they can spoil or coagulate. They contain in-can preservatives. Minimum film-forming temperature determines how much coalescent a paint needs.
Paints made with these binders follow Standards Organisation of Nigeria requirements, and many buyers specify limits on volatile organic compounds.
Where acrylic binder comes from
Acrylic emulsions are made by emulsion polymerisation of acrylic and styrene monomers derived from petrochemicals. Production is concentrated among large chemical companies and some regional producers; Nigerian paint makers largely import binders in drums or IBCs.
Sourcing acrylic binder through Matta
Send Matta a request with the grade, quantity and delivery location you need. For the wider category, see Matta's industrial chemicals page.
Listings found on matta.trade, read 20 Oct 2026. Prices are a snapshot, not live; the listing is always the final word. Different suppliers and grades: compare prices only where the unit matches.
Titanium dioxide
Calcium carbonate
Glycerin
Sodium laureth sulfate