Selection Guide for Waterborne Coating Dispersants
In waterborne coating systems, the dispersion state of pigments and fillers directly dictates key properties such as fineness, gloss, tinting strength, storage stability, and overall film performance. As critical wetting and dispersing additives, dispersants bind to the interfaces of powder particles via anchoring groups; they break down powder agglomerates through mechanisms involving electrostatic repulsion, steric hindrance, or a synergy of both, while simultaneously inhibiting secondary flocculation, sedimentation, and particle coarsening during storage. Selecting the right dispersant is not merely a matter of adopting recommended product grades; rather, it requires a multidimensional assessment that systematically integrates factors such as powder type, resin system, application conditions, system pH, and formulation compatibility.