Additives Market Update
January 2017 www.coatingsworld.com Coatings World | 43
materials. That being said, when incorporated properly, addi-
tives can and do have a profound impact on the overall perfor-
mance of a coating.”
BASF’s Shah said that formulators are most likely to consider
the choice of new additives when designing new coatings, for
regulatory compliance or market differentiation, and sometimes
to solve a problem with an existing product line.
“We ask formulators to consider not only performance of an
additive, which is necessary, but also long term sustainability,”
he said. “At BASF, we believe that new additives should offer,
not only performance and sustainability attributes, but also al-
low for complexity reduction, improvement in paint production
or enhancement of raw material utilization. Other consider-
ations include how well an additive works with specific new
binder technologies and pigments.”
Tom Hall, BASF’s market segment manager – industrial coat-
ings, added that the challenge for formulators, when selecting
the additive package for their coating system, is identifying the
performance attributes that are critical to the specific applica-
tion of the coating.
“The resin and additive package must be optimized to
achieve these performance targets,” he said. “At BASF, we have
a global technical team called Formulation Service Institute that
focuses on developing formulations with our additives and res-
ins to optimize these combinations and meet specific customer
performance targets. The results of our formulation work are
then made available to our customers and allows them to quick-
ly adjust their coating formulations to meet the needs of their
respective markets. The formulation work at BASF fosters com-
munication with our customers to identify future market needs
and trends. This open dialogue guides the development of new,
sustainable formulation solutions for our customers.”
Shah added that BASF has focused on improving defoamers
for waterborne food contact applications and for improving ap-
pearance of 100% solids coatings. “In addition, we have been
actively developing dispersants that make very low VOC colo-
rants possible while addressing revised product labeling require-
ments globally.”
Eastman Chemical Company’s Steve Willoughby, global
market segment leader, coatings, said that formulating a coating
is simply about balance.
“Formulators can encounter challenges while trying to si-
multaneously balance multiple factors: costs, regulations,
sustainability, performance, and productivity,” he said. “Every
ingredient in a coating can impact several of these factors at
the same time, so finding additives that address priority needs
while simultaneously limiting their impact to factors that should
remain constant is desired. We encourage formulators to in-
teract with our technical team when considering how to best
balance the factors that impact coatings performance and ulti-
mately, additive selection. For example, in applications such as
automotive and industrial coatings, formulators are looking to
achieve improved appearance, durability, energy use, and layer
reduction with lower VOC formulations. In this case, Eastman
Tetrashield protective resin systems would be able to address
multiple factors.”
Eastman Tetrashield protective resin systems are the latest
product offering from Eastman, Willoughby said. “Tetrashield
resins provide superior protection by combining polyester-based
benefits such as flexibility, with the weathering, hardness and
durability benefits typically found in other polymer systems such
as acrylics. The unique composition of Tetrashield allows paint
formulators to achieve higher glass transition temperatures (Tg)
at lower viscosity. This can enable a reduction of volatile or-
ganic compounds (VOC) by up to 10-15% in depending on the
formulation. The higher Tg can also enable superior scratch and
mar resistance. Tetrashield protective resin systems are designed
for a full range of coatings end uses where ultimate durability
and protection is desired, and these resins are currently adding
benefits to automotive and industrial applications.”
Another recent introduction to this market from Troy Corp.
is New Troysperse ZWD3 dispersant, which has been engi-
neered for formulators who require excellent color develop-
ment capabilities, high pigment loadings, and fast dispersion
time. It is a 98% active aqueous pigment dispersant developed
for use with carbon black pigments in high-end as well as low-
cost utility applications. Troysperse ZWD3 is also effective in
phthalocyanine and organic pigments, which adds an element
of universality, making the product an option for manufacturers
wishing to keep one dispersant in inventory for multiple sys-
tems. The additive has a low VOC composition.
“Troysperse ZWD3 promotes excellent color development,
as well as providing excellent dispersion stability,” says Shiona
Stewart, Global Business Director, Performance Additives. “The
advanced additive offers performance at very low use levels and
incorporates multifunctionality, enabling formulators to achieve
excellent cost performance.”
Shenton King, director of marketing for King Industries, said
that the main factors to consider when choosing an additive are
quality, performance, efficiency, and sustainability.
Additionally, King said, the technical service capabilities of
the additive supplier should be considered.
“Choosing a high quality manufacturer of additives to sup-
ply your business is of critical importance,” King said. “Not
only does it guarantee performance, but it guarantees high
quality production processes with emphasis on excellent en-
vironmental and safety & health practices, ensuring stability
and sustainability.
Moving forward, King said the demand of low-VOC coat-
ings has required the paint and coatings market to develop more
environmentally friendly additives that achieve lower VOC
while still maintaining high performance properties.
“King Industries has responded to this demand with K-FLEX
resin modifiers, which has allowed major manufacturers to for-
mulate zero-VOC and low-VOC paints and coatings.
“Additionally, increasing regulatory restrictions of harmful
tin additives, especially in Europe, has forced coatings formulators to look for alternatives to tin catalysts. King has stayed
ahead of this trend and we have an established line of non-tin,
EHA-free K-KAT catalysts,” he said.CW
