In current practical applications, the classification of attapulgite clay is mainly based on its functions and uses. Colloidal attapulgite clay, combined with other soft clays and suitable additives, can be used in thin-layer coatings such as EPC coatings for casting, anti-corrosion coatings at certain high temperatures, insulation coatings, and anti-oxidation coatings.
Digitalization is transforming many industries. How do paint and coatings suppliers effectively leverage digitalization? What are the pivotal strategic shifts required to succeed in the digital age? What synergies can be unlocked between digital innovation and legacy processes?
Waterborne latexes are produced via emulsion polymerization, in which surfactants or emulsifiers are the key components to control latex properties. Much effort has been made to reduce the impact of surfactants on the performance of waterborne formulations. One of the promising approaches is to use polymerizable or reactive surfactants to prepare latex polymers.
Many waterborne coating formulations utilize eco-friendly biopolymers, which have beneficial properties such as being biodegradable, and contain much fewer VOCs. Today, there are renewable materials that are worth consideration and greater investigation to further improve sustainability of products at the end of their useful lives; these materials are carbohydrate-based polymers produced from starch.
As the coatings industry continues to prioritize waterborne systems, further research to provide coatings with comparable properties to those based on solvent-based systems is required. This paper, winner of the PCI Award for Technical Excellence at the 2023 Waterborne Symposium, presents a surfactant-free encapsulation process that enables the enclosure of polysiloxanes of arbitrary molecular weight in capsules of nanometer size in a simple, scalable process.
In 2019, the coatings industry did not anticipate any problems surrounding raw material supplies and availability. Then COVID and the global supply chain crisis hit. This article offers an analysis of the current and future outlook of the raw materials market, highlighting lingering issues with raw material production, pricing, transportation, and delivery.
Increased regulatory scrutiny of lead, chromium, and zinc is driving the migration to heavy-metal-free corrosion inhibitors. In this article, several water-based resin technologies were selected to demonstrate the performance of heavy-metal-free corrosion inhibitors versus their zinc-containing counterparts.
A more sustainable industry requires the discovery and utilization of new raw materials and technologies, presenting an opportunity to develop products with unique properties not previously explored in the additives sector.
Is moisture an important measurement in the manufacturing of powder coatings? What is the best way to degrease steel and aluminum prior to powder coating? Joe Powder, aka Kevin Biller of ChemQuest Powder Coating Research, shares his powder coating knowledge and expertise by answering questions like these sent in from around the world.
This month’s Formulating with Mike columncontinues the focus on resins and discusses acrylic emulsion polymerization, in particular, surfactant design and how it affects the polymerization of a vinyl-acrylic emulsion.