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In this section, you can find answers to some frequently asked questions. If your question is not listed here, please click “Ask a Question.”

Which additive can be used as a defoamer in formulations for polyaspartic-based colored floor coatings?
Application:Floor Coatings
Reply: Polyaspartic formulations offer unique properties that significantly reduce drying time or improve the final surface appearance. To prevent the formation of unwanted foam, Tech-498 can be used in colored polyaspartic formulations. Using Tech-498 results in a foam-free formulation.
If an epoxy floor coating is applied to a particular layer, what additives can be used to prevent pinholes, Benard vortices, or an orange-peel finish?
Application:Floor Coatings
Reply: A very important factor affecting all of these defects is surface tension—more specifically, differences in surface tension. The following additives can be used to prevent or minimize these differences in surface tension. We recommend trying Tech-2306.
What additives can be used in polyurethane-based floor coating formulations to increase viscosity and prevent settling?
Application:Floor Coatings
Reply: This resistance to sedimentation can be achieved by using specially developed additives such as Tech-9022W, which form a network structure within the system and induce pseudoplasticity. Controlled flocculating wetting and dispersing agents, such as the multifunctional Tech-60701, operate on a similar principle. These additives cause dispersed particles to aggregate into a loose structure, which can sometimes result in higher viscosity and good resistance to sedimentation.
What additives can be used in the production of epoxy systems for the uniform dispersion of solid particles during filling or coloring?
Application:Floor Coatings
Reply: Tech-5010 is a wetting and dispersing agent that can be added during the grinding process to improve the incorporation and stability of fillers and pigments. These additives have the following effects: reducing viscosity, improving flow, increasing filler load, reducing filler settling, and improving color uniformity.
What type of wetting and dispersing agent can be used to stabilize fillers, such as calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, or other fillers, in polyurethane-based floor coating formulations?
Application:Floor Coatings
Reply: Filler particles that are not properly wetted, dispersed, and stabilized often result in the following issues: high viscosity, leading to inadequate mixing of the filled polyol with the isocyanate and poor flow properties of the mixture. In contrast, the Tech-5076 wetting and dispersing agent offers the following advantages: higher filler loading, improved flow properties, and uniform mixing of the filled polyol with the isocyanate.
Can you recommend an additive to stabilize zinc powder in solvent-based systems—one that both prevents the zinc powder from agglomerating and ensures good electrical contact?
Application:Ships and Anti-Corrosion Coatings
Reply: To ensure uniform dispersion, we recommend adding 0.5% of Tech-598, Tech-5011, or Tech-5076 based on the total formulation. None of these additives have a negative impact on salt spray resistance, and they perform well in gas evolution tests with zinc powder.
We are developing various epoxy topcoats for ballast water tanks and coatings. Do you have any additives that can improve cleanability or reduce fouling?
Application:Ships and Anti-Corrosion Coatings
Reply: We recommend Tech-2310, Tech-2320, or Tech-2340, which are silicone molecules containing epoxy groups. Because they contain epoxy groups, they can be incorporated into coatings to produce a permanent effect that positively impacts both ease of cleaning and stain resistance.
We are looking for an additive that can prevent sagging in epoxy heavy-duty anti-corrosion coatings.
Application:Ships and Anti-Corrosion Coatings
Reply: In medium- and high-polarity systems, Tech-9030—a polyamide powder that provides anti-sag properties—and Tech-9020 polyamide wax paste offer distinct thixotropic flow characteristics, pseudoplastic flow behavior, and rapid viscosity recovery after use, thereby providing excellent anti-sag performance. Tech-9020 has already been activated and does not require a temperature-controlled activation step.