This month Coatings World interviewed a number of key suppliers of performance-enhancing additives. These include: Joshua Halstead, global applications development manager, Borchers; Clariant (BU ICS and BU Additives); Keith Condon, national sales director, keim additec; John McAllister, global director of sales - Industrial Division, Micro Powders Inc. (MPI); Thomas Kinlin, technical marketing leader; Shamrock Technologies; Robert Ruckle, global marketing and sales director, Siltech Corp.

CW: What types of performance enhancing additives does your company offer?

Borchers: Borchers offers a wide range of performance-enhancing additives, including high-performance catalysts for curing alkyds and urethane coatings, anti-skinning additives for oil-based systems, high-efficiency rheology modifiers, dispersants, defoamers, flow and leveling additives, specialty adhesion promoters, and anti-blocking products.

Clariant: Clariant Paints & Coatings has a broad portfolio of compatibilizing additives that enhance performance in coatings; one particular additive that Clariant is heavily invested in enhances many different aspects of performance in colorant concentrates and in turn the coatings they touch. The versatility of Dispersogen PLF 100 allows formulators to simplify their recipes with the multiple aspects for pigment concentrates; additionally, Emulsogen LCN  118 is an active emulsification polymer that shows advanced properties in rub out and surface wetting in low PVC models.

Our Business Unit Additives provides a wide range of additives for paints and coatings throughout 3 distinct Business Lines. Advanced Surface Solutions will contribute to enhance surface properties of coatings with various types of waxes, e.g. the Ceridust range of micronized waxes; Performance Additives offers a comprehensive portfolio of light stabilizers (UV absorbers and HALS) and antioxidants, as well as tailor made solutions through the AddWorks brand. Last but not least, Flame Retardants has a full range of halogen-free solutions for intumescent coatings with the Exolit product line, designed to provide fire protection and comply with the most stringent fire safety standards.

keim additec: kein additec offers the following performance enhancing additives: Wax Dispersions, Surface modifiers, Dispersants, Wetting/leveling Agents, Defoamers/Deaerators, Hydrophobicity/Water Repellency agents, Rheology modifiers and Open-time extenders.

Micro Powders: Micro Powders offers a full range of synthetic and natural wax additives for surface protection, gloss reduction, texture, haptics and water repellency. These waxes can be used in a wide variety of paint and coating applications as well as graphic arts. We have the most comprehensive portfolio of dry wax powders, wax dispersions and wax emulsions available in the industry.

Shamrock Technologies: Shamrock Technologies offers a wide variety of performance enhancing additives that are utilized in coatings, inks, plastics, grease, lubricants and cosmetics. We specialized in micronized powders that enhance surface protection, increase or decrease slip, add water repellency, reduce blocking, help maintain clarity, and provide matting.  Our product offerings include, PTFE, Polyethylene, Polypropylene as well as alloys of these materials. In addition, we also provide a variety of natural sources material, such as carnauba and plant based stearic acid waxes. Besides dry micronized powers, we offer many of our products in alternate delivery systems such as; dispersions, emulsion and compounds. 

Siltech: Our latest offerings are based on reactive silicon QT resins which are highly crosslinked.   These react into the resin and provide mechanical properties such as flexibility, impact resistance, elongation, release or stain/water resistance.  These physical improvements are in addition to the surface tension reduction benefits provided by most of the additives. 

CW: Given the added cost associated with these types of additives, what are the benefits to the customer?

Borchers: Additives can offer numerous benefits to a coatings system. For example, in alkyd paints, high-performance catalysts can improve dry times, provide better cleanability and scrub resistance, and even boost chemical or corrosion resistance. In another example, our unique zirconium-based rheology modifiers can provide strong pseudoplastic low shear behavior, enhancing application properties, reducing settling, and drastically improving most paints’ storage stability. We also offer other additives that can improve color strength and brightness, create smooth defect-free films, and improve adhesion. 

Clariant: The added costs of the performance additives are offset by offerings on enhanced color performance, extended shelf life and reduced foam in grinding/processing - which simplifies the rheology aspects by reducing the amount of viscosity modifiers required, as well as other critical measures necessary to provide premium paints and coatings. When calculated, the improvements made by Clariant materials cost justifies and offers significant overall savings in formulating costs.

With our Advanced Surface Solutions, at small dosage levels, formulators are able to customize the performance properties of their final product, according to their individual customer requirements. Formulators should consider the final add-on cost vs the benefits provided. Sometimes a more expensive additive can be used at a lower dosage, thereby making the add-on cost neutral or even less expensive.

When it comes to our Performance Additives, the addition of a light and/or heat stabilization package to a coating system helps to prevent gloss reduction, yellowing and film degradation, which ultimately leads to complete delamination if the coating is left unprotected.  Light stabilizer additives can extend the service life of coatings by several years before repainting is needed. The labor cost being the highest portion when pricing up a quote to paint the exterior of a house, therefore the longer the coating can last before repainting, the cheaper the overall cost is over the service life of the coating.

keim additec: Dispersing additives: Shorter milling time, improved color strength, high compatibility, no flocculation, better stabilization
• Wetting agents: Lower tendency to surface defects, anti-crater properties
• Levelling additives: High slip, abrasion & scratch resistance, anti-blocking properties
• Defoamers: No foam, higher filling capacity and production volumes
• Hydrophobic additives: Beading effect, less water uptake, improved early-water-and weather resistance, better vapor permeability/breathability
• Rheological additives: Desired rheological profile for application, storage stability, anti-settling, spatter resistance
• Wax emulsions: Various properties, e.g., abrasion resistance, anti-blocking & slip, water repellency, mar & scuff, adhesion, as well anti-slip
• Open-time extenders assist in controlling the drying - curing process of coatings.

Micro Powders: The role of a surface modifier is to optimize the performance of a finish to meet the expectations of the final customer. Composite waxes are the additive of choice for surface protection properties in demanding applications. In most cases, they offer the greatest efficiency at the lowest level of addition and formulation cost. Our PolyGlide 1226XF and Superslip 6515AL composite waxes are good examples of this relationship.

Shamrock Technologies: The benefits include a greater degree of mar, abrasion, rub and scratch resistance, increased or decreased coefficient of friction, improved weatherability, better block resistance, tactile feel. All of these properties extend usage and reduce maintenance cycles, which also promotes sustainability or long term usability.

CW: What considerations should formulators make when choosing an  performance enhancing additive?

Borchers: When choosing additives, formulators must first consider the application. An industrial metal coating will require different performance additives than an interior architectural coating.

The next consideration is whether the paint is water-based or solvent-based, as this strongly influences compatibility. Finally, the type of resin and method of cure must be considered. This will determine if the coating requires additives such as catalysts or moisture salvagers. Also, some additives tend to work better when combined with certain types of polymers.

Clariant: Simplicity of formulating is crucial to advancing innovation, the right performance additive can provide just that. 
• Using the correct type of flame retardant, synergist and binder to achieve proper intumescence of the coating to meet stringent flammability test requirements.
• Looking for additives with a good environmental and health profile – legacy products with perhaps good technical performance but negative impact on the environment and people must be avoided. Clariant has been focusing on sustainable flame retardants, evaluated and certified by third parties like GreenScreen™ or the US EPA.
• Being aware of any trade-offs which might occur by improving one property but perhaps negating another property. All of the important properties should be evaluated to provide a full picture of any additive change.
• Taking environmental aspects into consideration. For example, formulating a waterborne coating with the ultimate goal to be label-free would require a UV Absorber or a HALS which have no or minimal impact to the end products labelling. Clariant is offering two light stabilizer dispersions which meet these requirements: Hostavin 3315 DISP, which is a UVA dispersion containing 52% active ingredient, and Hostavin 3070 DISP, which is a HALS also containing 52% active ingredient.  Both products can be added during the manufacturing process or in the letdown stage without affecting the performance.

keim additec: Application tests of the additives in the final formulation is always necessary.
• Besides product price/lbs. there a several other criteria to be considered to decide:
• Overall cost savings (Lower dosage, storage, less complexity)
• Contribution to sustainability (e.g., bio-based sources, long-term performances)
• No hazardous ingredients (Biocides and preservatives free).

Micro Powders: Choosing a wax additive can be intimidating because there are many options. You must first identify the properties that need to be optimized as well as associated test methods.

Other considerations include system type, substrate, cure mechanism, incorporation method, desired gloss, film thickness and need for recoatability. Micro Powders is available to provide technical assistance either directly or through one of our certified global distribution partners.

Shamrock Technologies: There are a number of things to consider when choosing the right performance enhancing additive. The first thing is to know which properties the formulator would like to improve. Next would be to consider the type of system where the additive will be utilized. After that, details such as desired additive type, particle size and melt point can be determined.

Shamrock Technologies has a very knowledgeable sales team as well as experts within our Technical Services Group that can help pinpoint the ideal performance enhancing additive to meet our customers’ needs.  

CW: What are the latest technologies being developed for additives in paint and coatings?

Borchers: At Borchers, sustainability is a key focus and we are designing new ways to enable alkyds and other sustainable resins through new catalyst technologies as well as advanced bio-derived additives.

We believe that alkyd resins and other oxidatively curing polymers are poised to play a large role in the future of sustainable coatings due to their high bio-renewable content.  We are focusing on enabling and enhancing the performance of these systems through new catalyst and additive technology.

Clariant: Clariant is looking forward to offering new technology launches that will address improved weatherability, durability and versatility as the market demands premier and niche products.

When it comes to sustainability, and our advanced surface solutions product line, we are continuously developing new products which use bio-based, sustainable raw materials in exchange for traditional petro-based sources. Also, PTFE is facing a global regulatory restriction on usage levels, and Clariant is being proactive in working with customers to develop PTFE-free alternatives for enhanced surface properties in coatings and inks. These new solutions include: Ceridust® 1041 TP VITA, Ceridust 1060 VITA, Ceridust 8090 VITA and Ceridust 8091 VITA, all of them with the VITA designation, which indicates products from natural origin with real renewable content (at least 98% RCI).

Our Flame Retardants team is developing solutions based on ammonium polyphosphate that provide lower viscosity and improved shelf stability of dispersions.  The two latest launches are Exolit AP 435 and Exolit 855.

Additionally, Clariant has been collaborating with resin manufactures in testing label free alternatives using Hostavin 3070 P as the primary HALS for automotive coatings which has resulted in excellent performance beyond 5,000 hours Xenon weathering. This collaboration has been driven by the upcoming regulatory changes where monomeric HALS (such as HALS 292 type) will be reclassified as reprotoxic category 2, this change will result in customers having to label their final product.

keim additec: VARIPHOB HY 300 – Hybrid all-in-one silicon emulsion technology
• VARIPHOB HP 160 – Modified amino alkyl polysiloxane chemistry as biocide & emulsifier free silicon oil
• VARIPHOB HY 300 is a water-based, self-crosslinkable silicone hybrid technology, a new class of hydrophobing agents for high quality exterior paints is presented which combines the property profiles of silicone oils and silicone resins.
• VARIPHOB HP 160 represents a new 100% active, biocide and emulsifier-free amino-polysiloxane chemistry that creates a higher contact angle than standard silicone oils.

Micro Powders: Wax additives are our core business, and we listen closely to the market. We recently introduced several nanoalumina and ceramic fortified composite waxes for customers who wish to move away from PTFE containing additives. We also introduced several products based on natural and biodegradable materials, giving today’s formulators even more options to develop next-generation coatings.

Composite waxes play an important role in both industrial and architectural coatings for surface protection, and the addition of ultrafine hard particles takes that performance to a new level.

Superslip 6515AL is a micronized composite of HDPE/amide/nanoalumina that maximizes scratch resistance and lubricity. PolyGlide 1226XF is a highly engineered HDPE/ceramic composite wax for maximum abrasion resistance and lubricity. Both waxes are ideal for high gloss coatings and to replace PTFE. For a natural approach to surface protection and gloss reduction, NatureFine R331 is a finely micronized biodegradable rice bran wax that imparts surface slip and abrasion resistance. NatureMatte 31 is a biodegradable PHBV powder that can improve burnish resistance in satin and matte architectural coatings. Finally, for corrosion resistance in powder coatings, GraphShield 730 is a micronized composite of synthetic wax and edge oxidized graphene oxide (EOGO). The anti-corrosive benefits of graphene oxide are well known, and this product allows the formulator to incorporate graphene oxide safely and easily into their formulations.

Shamrock Technologies: Paint and coatings are really striving to achieve better sustainability while still maintaining optimum performance. There is a renewed interest in naturally source materials that reduce dependence on fossil-based materials while reducing carbon emissions. Plant based materials such as carnauba and soy based waxes provide viable sustainable bio-based alternatives without having to sacrifice performance.

SNauba 5021: Palm based micronized wax powder that offers slip, mar/scuff and abrasion resistanceminimal impact on gloss

SuperSLIP 722: Specialty bio-based wax alloy optimized to provide unique release properties in applications such as non-stick coatings and interior can coatings. Superslip 722 will provide excellent slip and mar resistance with minimal impact on gloss and clarity.

Siltech: We are currently working on validating additives which have their organic portions sourced from bio-based, rather than petroleum, feedstocks.