Eastman AQ™ 55S is a water-dispersible polyester resin that directly creates dispersions in hot water without the aid of surfactants or additives. Compared to the other Eastman AQ™ sulfopolyesters, the AQ™ 55S resin has a relatively high Tg of approximately 55°C, allowing it to form rigid, low-tack films. Aqueous dispersions of Eastman AQ™ 55S can be applied to various substrates and will rapidly dry at room temperature to form clear thermoplastic films. This is due to the relatively small particle sizes that constitute the AQ™ sulfopolyester dispersion. Since AQ™ sulfopolyester resins are plasticized by water, they also exhibit a relatively low minimum film formation temperature and do not require organic coalescing agents to form films.

Films formed by Eastman AQ™ 55S are smooth and have excellent resistance to humidity, making them ideal for inks and coatings. In addition, dispersed sulfopolyesters like AQ™ 55S help to disperse solid pigments, making them useful for pigmented aqueous ink and coating formulations.

AQ™ 55S can also be used as a film-forming polyester resin in water-based heat seal coatings. In this application, dispersions of AQ™ 55S can be easily applied to packaging films to form a clear, thermoplastic coating that can be heat sealed to films and foils.