The architecture of Silicone Slip Additives, and an informed choice for the formulator

摘要

Additives are widely used in the Coatings and Inks industries to improve their slip properties. The low Coefficient of Friction (CoF) imparted by the additives allows for faster processing and protects coating surfaces from mechanical damage during processing, transport and use. They may also improve the tactile properties of the paints, coatings and inks. The additives used to achieve such properties vary in their chemistries depending on the end use, from natural or synthetic organic waxes to silicones. In this study we compare the performance of silicone based additives with varying architectures and delivery systems for key benefits such as slip, abrasion /scratch resistance and hand feel in a variety of different coatings and inks. We explore how changing the architecture of the silicone brings different properties to the formulator. We will also directly compare the performance of the silicone additives to that of waxes, and indicate where silicone chemistry could be the better choice for the formulator.