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This article is intended to indicate some of the problems involved in obtaining latices which have practical utility. I shall be mainly concerned with copolymers of vinyl esters and the various acrylic monomers and also with latices which are applied as such—not merely polymerised in emulsion as a convenient method of obtaining the solid polymer in particulate form.

The twenty‐first Congress of FATIPEC, the European organisation of societies connected with the paint, ink and allied industries including raw materials, was held at the RAI complex in Amsterdam from 14–18 June 1992. It was organised efficiently with a number of evening social events. Besides pleniary lectures, there were three parallel series, the principal topics being waterborne systems, environmental problems, pigmentation, measuring and testing. There was a parallel Euroformula Exhibition in adjoining halls.

The Cobo Hall, Detroit, Michigan, USA was the venue for the 59th Annual Meeting, Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology and the 46th Paint Industries Show which took place on October 28th‐30th, 1981. There were no fewer than 179 exhibitors, almost entirely from the USA. The large crowds on the first day indicated the popularity of the show. The only criticisms that could be made were the lack of seating accommodation for footsore visitors, and the poor quality of the cafeteria at Cobo Hall, bearing in mind that the stands (Booths in the local dialect) occupied 38,210 sq. ft. A novelty to visitors is that across the river is a different country, Canada, and Windsor, Ontario, the “frontier” town on the Canadian side, was used as a hotel base for many participants.

Heraeus Equipment Ltd has produced a new eight page colour brochure to outline its comprehensive range of heating and drying ovens, hot air sterilisers, vacuum ovens and furnaces.

The use of chlorfluorocarbons (CFC) propellants are reputed to cause depletion of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere, whilst the use of hydrocarbons (propane/butane blends) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are likewise reputed to add to the suspected greenhouse effect.

BASF is to erect plant in Ludwigshafen for the production of 90,000 tons of acrylic acid a year from propylene. The capital investment costs are estimated at about DM 100 million, including those for the necessary infrastructure measures.