A method of forming a self-sealing fuel tank includes: providing a container including internal surfaces and external surfaces and configured to hold a fuel; forming a latex coating layer over at least a portion of the internal surfaces and/or external surfaces; depositing or encapsulating an environmental layer over at least a portion of the latex coating layer; where the latex coating layer swells when contacted with the fuel; and where the latex coating layer is formed from a latex coating composition that is substantially free of a non-ionic associative thickener.