Features

Surfactants Update

Environmentally friendly technologies, meeting customer needs are among the key challenges that surfactants manufacturers are facing.

Bridget Klebaur, Associate Editor03.01.13

Surfactants play a key role in the paint and coatings industry and there are some important issues facing the surfactant market in 2013. Shruti Singhal, global marketing director, Ashland Specialty Ingredients, elaborated on these issues, and explained that stricter regulations are fueling the move to lower-VOC and APEO-free formulations and are driving the global change in demand for unique surfactants.

“In addition, customers want to combine functionality such as high solids, substrate wetting, better flow and leveling with performance attributes to reduce the total number of raw materials used,” Singhal explained. “This reduces the number of steps required to achieve desired formulations, thereby lowering overall costs.”

Scott Hanson, business manager, 3M Advanced Materials, explained that 3M’s business focus is on the fluorochemical surfactants market.

“The environmental challenges of this market segment are providing solutions for low or no VOC formulations. Paints and coatings formulations continue to move from solvent-based to water-based formulations, so fluorochemical surfactants must meet