Several properties are important for high-performance coatings, including the following.
* Hardness and scratch resistance
* Anti blocking (for stacking recently coated substrates)
* Resistance against household chemicals and grease
* Outdoor durability and UV resistance
* Flexibility and toughness
These properties can be controlled by several parameters in acrylic dispersion design, such as controlled particle morphology, polymer backbone compositions, polymer Tgs and the use of crosslinking. Additionally, the film formation process needs to be controlled, since good performance can only be achieved from waterborne dispersions after good film formation and entanglement of the polymer chains across the particle interfaces. Conventional acrylic dispersions contain surfactants used for stabilization of the polymer particles. Generally, these surfactants negatively affect the desired application properties, especially resistance properties and outdoor durability, which are very dependent on surfactants. Surfactants are sometimes referred to as "necessary evils" in acrylic dispersions.