Understanding Additives (European Coatings Tech Files)

Additives are substances which are added to a coating composition in small amounts (commonly less than one percent) to modify properties of a liquid paint or a solid coating obtained thereof in a desired direction. For example, one property of a liquid paint is the applicability which can be influenced by rheological additives (e.g. sag control agents). One property of solid coatings are their corrosion protective properties which can be influenced by corrosion protection additives or adhesion promotors, for example. Additives act like “medicines for paints and may show unwanted side effects.

The present book is in the first place a textbook and is originated from lectures of author at the Universtity of Applied Sciences in Esslingen/Germany. Its objective is a chemical and application-technological description of diffent types of additives for paints; test methods are beyond the limits of this book. Because of the plentitude of the very different additives the book must be restricted to the most important types; but these types should be explained in detail. Furthermore, the types of damages which are prevented by the additives should be demonstrated by photographs/pictures because as generally known “one picture says more than thousand words. In particular cases coating formulations (starting formulations of raw matertial suppliers) are presented to explain the specific use of additives; so, attention is turned beyond additives in their strict sense.

The present textbook seeks to familarize laboratory assistants, technicians, bachelors, engineers or chemists with this class of raw materials for paints. It presupposes a basic knowledge of chemistry. Moreover, it will serve as a reference work for all readers interested in raw materials, paints and coatings.