At the second “Myanmar Build & Décor” in Yangon, Myanmar, Wacker is presenting a range of high-performance silicones and polymer binders for chal-lenging coatings and construction applications: Wood impregnated with the new silicone resin emulsion SILRES WH is protected against damp, moisture and damage caused by fungi and insects for an exceedingly long time. The new dispersion VINNAPAS EF8181 enables the formulation of high-quality interior paints with low odor and a reduced environmental impact. Further highlights are SILRES BS silicone emulsions for water-repellent, yet vapor-permeable masonry coatings, and VINNAPAS VAE dispersions for cement admixtures and water-proofing membranes. Myanmar Build & Décor takes place from October 22 to 24 in Myanmar Event Park (MEP) in Yangon.

“Wacker is accelerating its business development in South East Asia, especially in upcoming markets such as Myanmar. It is the first time that we are showcasing our technologies here in Myanmar, and this exhibi-tion is a great opportunity for us to further explore the market potentials in this region”, said Patrick de Wolf, Managing Director of Wacker South East Asia. “We have developed tailor-made construction and coatings solutions taking into account local climatic conditions and raw materials. With this, we can enhance the performance of local construc-tion chemicals and add great value to the regional construction market, especially in the field of sustainable building techniques.” Additionally, experts from Wacker will be giving a talk at the technical conference and will further be on hand for informative discussions with existing and prospective customers.

SILRES WH, a novel silicone resin emulsion for long-lasting wood pro-tection coatings, possesses hydrophobic properties that reliably protect outdoor wood against wet and damp and the damage that these cause. The product is flexible enough to adhere strongly to wood surfaces, and imbues them with the water-repellent properties typical of silicones. Weathering tests show that the product still protects impregnated wood against moisture and damp after 17 years.

The 50-percent emulsion is based on a functional silicone resin and can serve as a water-repellent impregnating agent or as an additive for for-mulating film-forming wood stains. Due to its hydrophobic properties, SILRES WH reduces the water uptake of wood and keeps its water content low. Consequently, the wood is better protected against typical damage, such as fungus, mildew and insect attack, as well as cracks caused by swelling and shrinking. The use of biocides can be slashed as a result. SILRES® WH added to paints and wood stains confers lasting water repellency, even in low concentrations. The water repellency is clearly revealed by the beading effect the emulsion produces on wood surfaces. The new product greatly reduces the frequency of renovation and repainting compared with conventional wood preservatives.

Based on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers (VAE), the dispersion VINNAPAS EF8181 was specifically developed to meet the needs of the Asia-Pacific region. The product combines excellent properties, such as good block resistance, outstanding scrub resistance, high opacity, very good processability and a favorable cost-benefit ratio, with the potential to formulate low emission, water-based interior paints. It is best used at higher medium pigment volume concentrations (PVC). The dispersion is made without the use of formaldehyde donors or alkyl-phenol ethoxylates. In addition, its low glass transition temperature (Tg) and equally low minimum film formation temperature (MFFT) allow for homogeneous polymer films with no need for a cosolvent. VINNAPAS EF8181 is therefore ideal for formulating low-odor coatings containing low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC < 5 g/l), thus meeting current environmental and safety standards.

WACKER will also showcase its SILRES BS product portfolio. These products are based on water-repellent silicone resins and silicone resin emulsions and offer building protection for decades. Silicone resins form an extremely stable and highly durable three-dimensional silicone resin network on mineral surfaces and within mineral-based coatings. The network repels water and moisture, but is permeable to water vapor in-side the wall. This effect keeps the building structure dry and prevents wall damage and decay caused by moisture.

At the tradeshow, WACKER will focus on SILRES BS 45 and SILRES BS 1306. SILRES BS 45 is a water-dilutable solventless silicone resin emulsion used as the main binder in silicone resin emulsion paints and plasters. If formulated properly, the end products are characterized by high permeability to water vapor, low water absorption, low soiling ten-dency and long life. SILRES® BS 1306 is a solventless, water-thinnable emulsion of a polysiloxane modified with a functional silicone resin. In aqueous masonry coatings and aqueous primers, the additive enhances the water repellency, water resistance and water-vapor permeability of the formulations. It also improves the processability and anti-block char-acteristics of water-based coatings.

Further highlights at the exhibition are the VAE-based dispersions VINNAPAS 529 ED and VINNAPAS 536 ED. VINNAPAS 529 ED shows very good adhesion to hard substrates, with high cohesive and tensile strength. Thus, it can be ideally used as a bonding agent and cement admixture in construction applications. VINNAPAS 536 ED can further be used as a versatile binder for two-component waterproofing membranes for creating reliable seals in wet areas, such as kitchens or bathrooms. The product offers good compatibility with cement and inor-ganic fillers which results in high bonding strength. Both dispersions are manufactured without the use of alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs), plas-ticizers or solvents.