DOWSIL™ 102F Additive

Dow introduces a highly efficient fluorosilicone additive for improved foam control

Foam generation can cause problems with the production, filling and application of solvent-based paints, inks and coatings, particularly in high-solids formulations.

If you are seeing more defects and haze and gloss issues resulting from the addition of your foam control agents, and if you have to use several different additives to control foam in your various solventborne coatings, consider DOWSIL™ 102F Additive.

About DOWSIL™ 102F Additive

This highly efficient fluorosilicone defoaming agent is effective at very low use levels in solvent-based coating formulations, including high-solids systems. It does not noticeably impact the surface appearance or recoatability of the applied film. Plus, DOWSIL™ 102F Additive is suitable for multiple formulations, so you can achieve synergies across your manufacturing operations and supply chain.

Improved foam control with fluorosilicone technology from Dow

The low surface tension of DOWSIL™ 102F Additive makes it a very efficient antifoam and defoamer. This innovative fluorosilicone additive performs at very low concentrations. So you can achieve effective foam control at very low silicone addition levels, even in high-solids formulations.

Because it is effective at such low silicone addition levels, DOWSIL™ 102F Additive does not cause issues with recoatability.

The foam control performance of DOWSIL™ 102F Additive exceeds what is possible with other fluorosilicone-based products available today. While the amount required is formulation-dependent, the typical addition level for DOWSIL™ 102F Additive is up to 0.7 percent by weight (equivalent to 50 ppm fluorosilicone).

Figure 1: Foam control performance – Paint density

High-speed stirring test of a solventborne 2K PU wood coating with DOWSIL™ 102F Additive at 0.2 wt%, as supplied.

Measurement of paint density after high-speed stirring indicates that the antifoam performance of DOWSIL™ 102F Additive is superior to that of the competitor’s product.

Figure 2: Foam control performance – surface appearance
High-speed stirring test of an industrial coating (epoxy protective base coat) with DOWSIL™ 102F Additive at 0.4 wt%, as supplied

The presence of fewer bubbles on the surface of the coating after high-speed mixing and subsequent curing indicates that DOWSIL™ 102F Additive provides more effective foam control than the competitor’s product.

Great foam control and surface appearance

DOWSIL™ 102F Additive is designed to be effective without noticeable impact on the surface appearance of the coating. As a clear and colorless formulation, it does not impact the clarity of the coating. It has good compatibility with solventborne coating systems and a low tendency to cause craters. Additionally, it can be added in the let-down stage without tending to cause surface defects.

Differentiated performance

In applications where strong antifoaming is required – such as protective coatings, wood coatings and flooring coatings – DOWSIL™ 102F Additive provides high defoaming performance in a cost-effective manner.

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