Hyperdispersants add fast and efficient color to enable switch to waterborne coatings

Challenge

Environmental concerns and the resulting regulations limiting volatile organic compounds (VOC) in paints and coatings have driven the industrial coatings market toward greater reliance on waterborne products. However, waterborne coating systems present more challenges when it comes to incorporating pigments into the coatings.

Solution

Our Solsperse® W-Series hyperdispersants allow waterborne coatings to incorporate pigment faster and to reach the desired color with less pigment. To develop this product, our research synthesis and application group in the U.K., coupled with our PCG global and regional sales and marketing groups, targeted select end use applications and customers to test various prototypes. Our hyperdispersants are a combination of polymers that anchor to the pigment and polymers that keep the pigment particles separated. Work over the last few years has been aimed at developing novel combinations that meet the needs of the market more effectively than our competition.

Results

Our dispersants allow coatings manufacturers to speed their production time, which reduces costs and increases capacity. Manufacturers may also save money by using less pigment to achieve the same color. Wider adoption of waterborne coatings in markets that traditionally use solventborne coatings will reduce VOC emissions, and thus, improve overall wellness.