How to solve the problem of matting agent dispersion stability?

In recent years, with consumers favoring casual, fashionable, and personalized designs, low-gloss coatings have seen increasing use in wood, industrial coatings, packaging, and printing. Matting agent is a key ingredient in achieving a matte finish, and its dispersion stability directly determines the coating's gloss uniformity, transparency, and final performance.

Market Trends and Key Challenges of Low-Gloss Surfaces

In recent years, with consumers favoring casual, fashionable, and personalized designs, low-gloss coatings have seen increasing use in wood, industrial coatings, packaging, and printing. Matting agent (primarily composed of silica) is a key ingredient in achieving a matte finish, and its dispersion stability directly determines the coating's gloss uniformity, transparency, and final performance. However, silica particles have a large specific surface area and are prone to agglomeration, leading to difficulties in dispersion, sedimentation, and fluctuations in matting efficiency, a common pain point in the industry.

Dispersion efficiency needs to be improved: Agglomerated matting powder requires strong mechanical force to disperse to its original particle size, which consumes high energy and takes a long time (usually requiring more than 30 minutes). Excessive shearing can easily lead to particle breakage, compromising the matting effect.

Lack of stability: Dispersed particles are prone to reaggregation due to their high surface energy, causing sedimentation or settling during storage, resulting in roughening of the coating and affecting application leveling.

Environmental friendliness and safety limitations: Traditional dispersants contain organic solvents or other ingredients, making them difficult to meet the non-toxic and environmentally friendly requirements of food packaging, children's products, and other applications.

Limited matting agent dosage: To improve matting effect, the amount of matting agent must be increased, but high addition levels can increase system viscosity and result in inadequate wetting, which in turn reduces dispersion efficiency.

Limited wetting and penetration: They struggle to effectively reduce silica surface tension, failing to fully penetrate the pores within the particles, resulting in agglomeration after dispersion.

Stability reliance on mechanical forces: The dispersion requires continuous external force to maintain, and precipitation is prone to occur after standing, impacting the slurry's storage and transport performance.

Environmental compatibility needs improvement: Some solvent-based dispersants contain restricted substances such as alkylphenols and have limited degradability, making them unsuitable for demanding applications.

Resin compatibility issues: In resin-containing systems (such as UV coatings and polyurethane paints), they can easily cause flocculation or interfere with crosslinking reactions.

To address these challenges, Jiangsu Jinzhitian Composite Material Tehnology Company's DH-5038 dispersant, based on a sulfonate surfactant, offers a systematic solution through molecular design and solvent optimization.

The molecular structure allows for excellent adsorption onto silica surfaces, reducing interfacial tension and facilitating solvent penetration into agglomerated particles. With the aid of mechanical forces (e.g., dispersion), particles can be reduced to their original particle size in a short time, shortening processing time (30 minutes is recommended).

The dual mechanisms of electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance prevent particle reagglomeration, keeping the matting paste suspended (when stored in a sealed environment at room temperature, 15-25°C), and reducing sedimentation.

Increasing the matting agent dosage: The dosage can reach 35%-40% of the matting agent weight, helping to improve matting efficiency without affecting system rheology.

Using isopropyl alcohol as the solvent, with an active content of 80%, it is non-toxic and biodegradable. It has passed relevant certifications and is suitable for sensitive applications such as food packaging films and plastic products.

It has excellent compatibility and can be used in solvent-based, resin-free, and resin-containing systems (such as epoxy, polyurethane, and UV coatings), as well as in the ink and leather industries.

Reduced energy consumption and labor: Dispersing is completed immediately, eliminating the need for three-roll milling or ball milling (to prevent over-grinding that may affect matting performance).

Packaged in 25kg iron drums, store away from heat sources in a cool, well-ventilated environment.

DH-5038 dispersant addresses key challenges in matting agent applications by enhancing wetting, stabilizing dispersion, and maintaining safety. This not only improves coating quality and production efficiency, but also aligns with modern manufacturing trends. For manufacturers pursuing matte coatings, this product is an ideal dispersion solution.

For specific technical specifications or application guidance, please refer to the product datasheet or contact the supplier for a solution.