Evonik’s Coating Additives Business Line is launching two new wetting agents: TEGO Wet 290 and TEGO Wet 296. Both can be used for various substrates such as wood, plastic, and metal surfaces. The main areas of application are waterborne automotive and wood coatings. The two wetting agents improve wetting and anti-cratering properties and enhance flow and leveling.

Due to their excellent flow and leveling properties, TEGO Wet 290 and TEGO Wet 296 are suited for the automotive market, where the demand for glossy coatings with a unique color impression continues to grow. Manufacturers of wood coatings benefit from the excellent wood pore wetting which brings out the structure of the substrate particularly well, which is very important to many end customers.

“As a truly global partner to our coating customers, we are constantly working to expand our offering, to meet the evolving market and customer needs,” said Maximilian Morin, head of the Industrial & Transportation Coatings market segment. “With our two new wetting agents, we are trying to help satisfy the appearance requirements for automotive and wood furniture coatings.”

The two additives differ mainly in their composition: TEGO Wet 290 consists of 100 percent polyether-modified siloxane and is therefore particularly suitable for formulations with requirements of low volatile content. TEGO Wet 296 is a 52 percent solution of a polyether-modified siloxane in DPM (dipropyleneglycol-methyl-ether), which works well in low solids formulations such as waterborne automotive basecoats.

“TEGO Wet 296, the diluted version of the additive, is easier to incorporate into the formulation,” noted Andreas Stüttgen, manager applied research & technology, Transportation Coatings. Since overdosing can cause craters on the surface, it is less prone to defects, Stüttgen added. “Our customers can also dilute the 100 percent version to the level they need, if necessary.”