Application of Dispersants in Floor Coatings

Application of Dispersants in Floor Coatings

The core function of dispersants in floor coatings is to resolve pigment agglomeration, ensuring uniform dispersion within the coating system, ultimately improving the performance and appearance of the floor coating.

I. Core Application Scenarios

Dispersants are primarily used in the production and preparation of various types of floor coatings. Their application focus varies slightly depending on the type of coating.

Solvent-based floor coatings: They help disperse organic and inorganic pigments within the solvent system, reducing solvent usage while preventing pigment settling and ensuring storage stability.

Water-based floor coatings: Due to the unique characteristics of water-based systems, dispersants must improve pigment compatibility in water, prevent delamination, and not affect the coating's water resistance and adhesion.

Solvent-free floor coatings: In high-solids systems, dispersants must reduce the shear forces required for pigment dispersion, ensuring good coating flow and facilitating application.

II. Key Roles

The application of dispersants directly impacts the entire floor coating process, from production to application, primarily in three key areas.

Improving coating stability: Prevents pigments from agglomerating and settling during storage, extending the shelf life of the coating and eliminating the need for repeated stirring before use.

Optimizing application performance: Makes the coating system more uniform, reduces viscosity, improves leveling, and reduces application defects such as brush marks and orange peel.

Ensuring coating quality: Ensures even pigment distribution, resulting in a uniform floor coating color while enhancing the coating's abrasion resistance, weather resistance, and hiding power.

III. Selection and Usage Principles

Proper selection and use of dispersants are crucial to achieving their effectiveness. The following principles should be followed.

Matching the coating type: Depending on whether the floor coating is solvent-based, water-based, or solvent-free, select an appropriate oil-soluble or water-soluble dispersant to avoid system incompatibilities.

Combining pigment properties: Select a dispersant tailored to the surface properties of different pigments (such as titanium dioxide, carbon black, and iron oxide pigments). For example, carbon black requires a highly absorbent dispersant to break up strong agglomerates.

Control the addition amount: The addition amount is usually 0.5%-3% of the pigment mass. Excessive addition may cause blistering of the paint and decreased adhesion, while insufficient addition will fail to achieve the dispersion effect.