Understanding interactions of coatings components in waterborn paint formulations

 
Interactions of coatings components crucially influence the performance of their formulations. In this work, we demonstrate the application of advanced analytical methods in concentrated coating formulations. We characterized the adsorption equilibria of polymeric additives on the colloidal particles and the binder and pigment distribution. The adsorption equilibria of thickeners and dispersing agents on pigment particles were measured for example by electrophoretic mobility and analytical ultracentrifugation. Pigment distribution was characterized by ultra small-angle x-ray scattering in combination with confocal laser-scanning microscopy. The combination of these methods leads to an improved structure-property understanding and allows the optimization of crucial coating properties like rheology, opacity and gloss.