Solvay launches reactive waterborne emulsifier for solid epoxy resins

Worldwide environmental limits on emissions and regulatory requirements are driving the development of water-based coating technologies.

Solvay has developed Reactsurf 0092, an alkylphenol ethoxylates-free (APE) and non-ionic reactive water-based emulsifier for solid epoxy resins mainly for use in industrial coatings and paints or binders.

Reactsurf 0092 technology allows for the formulation of high-performance waterborne epoxy-based coatings which can match or exceed that of solvent-based (SB) coatings but with an appreciably lower level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Solvay is continuously developing and supplying products to meet the sustainable development challenges and regulatory requirements its customers are facing today and tomorrow for cleaner, healthier paints, and coatings formulations.

The new, cost-effective, environmentally and processing friendly emulsifier offers easy handling by combining both characteristic external and internal emulsification phases with no additional chemical modification required.

“Solvay’s Reactsurf 0092 emulsifier incorporates a highly reactive functional cross-linking group, a perfect balance and synergy between emulsification and epoxidation to achieve a highly reactive emulsifier,” said Dr. Rong Er Lin, Research & Innovation Manager, Solvay Novecare Coatings Asia-Pacific. “This offers good particle size control for optimum emulsion coalescence and consistency without reduction in strength and provides excellent application performance and emulsion stability of paints and coatings.”