Coatings and Inks Industry

Dispersants

Thickening Agents

Defoamers

Leveling Agents

1. Dispersants

In the production of coatings and inks, dispersants are used to uniformly disperse pigments in resins and other base materials, preventing pigment agglomeration and improving the stability, glossiness, and coloring power of coatings and inks. Inorganic pigments such as titanium dioxide, iron oxide red, and organic pigments such as phthalocyanine blue, quinacridone, etc., all require dispersants to achieve good dispersion effects. High-molecular dispersants adsorb on the surface of pigment particles, forming spatial steric hindrance and electrostatic repulsion, enabling the pigment particles to be uniformly dispersed in the system. In latex paint production, using dispersants can make pigments uniformly dispersed in the emulsion, ensuring the uniformity and stability of the latex paint color and avoiding phenomena such as floating color and blooming.

2. Thickening Agents

Thickening agents can regulate the viscosity of coatings and inks, providing good construction performance. During the coating construction process, the appropriate viscosity can ensure that the coating does not run on vertical surfaces and forms a uniform coating on horizontal surfaces. In the ink printing process, thickening agents can control the fluidity of ink, allowing it to be uniformly transferred on the printing plate, ensuring printing quality. Common coating thickening agents include cellulose ether types, polyurethane types, etc. In architectural coatings, adding thickening agents can make the coating have good thixotropic properties, facilitating brushing and spraying, and improving the covering power and fullness of the coating.

3. Defoamers

In the production and construction of coatings and inks, due to operations such as stirring and pumping, foam is easily generated. These foams will affect product quality, such as generating bubbles in coatings, causing defects such as pinholes and mottling in the coating, and affecting the uniformity and clarity of printing in inks. Defoamers reduce surface tension and disrupt the stability of foam, thereby eliminating foam. In solvent-based coatings, common defoamers include organic silicon types, mineral oil types, etc.; in water-based coatings and inks, due to the special nature of the system, specialized water-based defoamers such as polyether modified organic silicon defoamers are needed. In ink printing, using defoamers can ensure that ink is evenly transferred to the printing material, improving the quality of the printed product.

4. Leveling Agents

Leveling agents are used to improve the leveling property of coatings and inks, making the surface of the coating or ink film smoother and more flat. After coating construction, leveling agents can reduce the surface tension of the coating, allowing the coating to automatically level during drying, eliminating brush marks, roller marks, etc., and improving the decorative and protective properties of the coating. In ink printing, leveling agents can make ink evenly spread on the surface of the printing material, improving the glossiness and clarity of the printed product. Acrylate leveling agents are widely used in the coatings and inks industry, and by adjusting the dosage and type of leveling agents, they can meet the requirements of different products for leveling performance.