Applications of Surfactants in Paint

Classification of Surfactants in Paint

According to their role, surfactants used in the coating industry can be classified into the following categories: emulsifiers, pigment surface treatment agents, pigment wetting dispersants, defoamers, leveling agents, antifungal agents, antistatic agents, gloss enhancers, and slip additives.

Application of Surfactants in Paint: Antistatic

Antistatic surfactants inhibit the generation of static charges by leaking static charges through different channels or reducing the friction coefficient. Generally, they are required to have the following characteristics:

• Significant antistatic effect

• Long-lasting antistatic effect

• Good miscibility with the film-forming substance
  

• Do not affect other properties of the coating, such as not causing the film to yellow

The principle of the antistatic agent is: using its cationic surfactant properties to absorb moisture from the air, causing self-polarization and forming an extremely thin conductive layer on the surface, which constitutes a leakage channel for static electricity. Therefore, its effectiveness depends on its own structure and the relative humidity of the environment.

Application of Surfactants in Paint: Leveling

To use leveling agents to improve the leveling properties of coatings, the following two factors can be considered:

• Choose surfactants that can reduce the surface tension of the coating/film, thereby greatly improving the leveling properties of the coating.
  

• Choose solvents that evaporate slowly and can reduce the viscosity of the coating application, improve the fluidity of the coating, extend the leveling time, and achieve final leveling.