What is claimed is:
1. A method for producing a co-agglomerated latex dispersion, comprising:
co-agglomerating an anionic polymer dispersion in the presence of inert particles having a particle size of less than 2 μm, wherein the anionic polymer dispersion comprises a polymer comprising a conjugated diene monomer; and
adding a cationic surfactant to the co-agglomerated dispersion, thereby making the polymer dispersion cationic,
wherein co-agglomerated particles of the co-agglomerated latex dispersion have a particle size of from 100 nm to 5 μm,
and wherein the inert particles are inorganic particles comprising clay.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic particles comprise a particle with a platelet structure.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic particles comprise an inorganic particle comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of kaolin, mica, bentonite, natural hectorite, synthetic hectorite, ettringite, and calcium phosphate.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the inorganic particles comprise an inorganic particle comprising kaolin.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert particles are in a slurry prior to co-agglomerating.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a content of the inert particles is from 1% to 50% by weight based on the dry weight of the polymer.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 50% of monomers in the polymer comprise a conjugated diene.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conjugated diene monomer comprises butadiene.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a vinyl aromatic monomer.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vinyl aromatic monomer comprises styrene.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the polymer is a copolymer comprising styrene and butadiene.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises a (meth)acrylic acid ester.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the (meth)acrylic acid ester comprises methyl methacrylate.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polybutadiene.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
polymerizing a monomer in an emulsion polymerization, to obtain the anionic polymer dispersion, prior to co-agglomerating.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a temperature of the emulsion polymerization is below 20° C.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing water from the co-agglomerated latex dispersion to obtain a co-agglomerated latex dispersion with a solids content of greater than 50%.
18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing water from the co-agglomerated latex dispersion to obtain a co-agglomerated latex dispersion with a solids content of greater than 60%.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein co-agglomerating comprises co-agglomerating the anionic polymer dispersion and the inert particles by freeze agglomeration.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein co-agglomerating comprises co-agglomerating the anionic polymer dispersion and the inert particles by pressure agglomeration.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein co-agglomerating comprises co-agglomerating the anionic polymer dispersion and the inert particles by adding a chemical to the anionic polymer dispersion and the inert particles.