Next generation environmentally friendly surfactants for architectural paint applications

Dr.Luis Madrigal, Dow Coating Solution, Dow Europe GmbH, Switzerland ( lgmadrigal@dow.com )

Advanced design techniques have led to the development of novel surfactants which enable the coatings industry to comply with existing and upcoming EU regulations, without compromising coating performance. EU Directives have increased regulation on raw materials for paint and coating applications. In the case of surfactants, the requirement is for both products with excellent performance and also having low VOC contents, biodegradable and label free.

This paper describes Dow’s development of a new surfactant based on an alkoxylated secondary alcohol. The project focused on the need for a product with equivalent or better dispersing properties than traditional APE based products. High through-put testing accelerated the identification of synergistic effects between the alcohol moiety and the EO, PO and BO alkoxylated chains. The new family of surfactants was evaluated in various decorative paint formulations and demonstrated excellent dispersant performance, low foaming, stability, optical properties, and mechanical properties. The paper will also demonstrate how the use of high through-put formulation and testing allows the exploration of a wide formulation space for the evaluation of new additives for coatings.