Teach you step by step: A complete guide to the correct use of alcohol-soluble leveling agents. Alcohol-soluble leveling agents
are widely used in coatings, inks, adhesives and other fields as a powerful assistant to improve coating quality. However, to
give full play to its effectiveness, the correct method of use is crucial. Next, we will introduce in detail the key steps and key
points of using alcohol-soluble leveling agents.
I. Preliminary preparation: selection and storage
(I) Accurate selection
There are many types of alcohol-soluble leveling agents on the market, with different chemical structures and properties.
When choosing, it is necessary to make judgments based on specific application scenarios and needs. If used for food packaging
printing inks with extremely high environmental requirements, alcohol-soluble leveling agents with low volatile organic compound
(VOC) emissions and in compliance with food safety standards should be selected; if used for wood coatings, considering the porosity
and texture characteristics of wood, products that have good wetting effects on wood substrates and can improve the gloss and fullness
of the paint surface should be selected. At the same time, attention should also be paid to the compatibility of the leveling agent with
other components in the system (such as resins, solvents, pigments, etc.), which can be determined by consulting the product manual,
consulting suppliers or conducting small sample tests.
(II) Proper storage
Proper storage of alcohol-soluble leveling agents is the basis for ensuring their stable performance. They should be placed in a cool,
ventilated environment, away from heat sources and open flames to prevent solvent volatilization and thermal deterioration of the
product. Generally speaking, the appropriate storage temperature is between 0-50℃. Some leveling agents may become turbid or
solidified at low temperatures. For example, when the temperature is below 15℃, the appearance of some products will change.
Do not use them directly at this time. You can place them in warm water and heat them slowly. After returning to room temperature
and stirring them evenly, use them again to avoid affecting the leveling effect. At the same time, ensure that the container is tightly
sealed to avoid the mixing of impurities such as moisture and dust in the air, which may cause the product performance to deteriorate.
II. Usage process: addition and mixing
(I) Determine the amount of addition
The amount of addition is the key factor affecting the effect of alcohol-soluble leveling agents, and the more the better. Excessive
addition may cause problems such as fish eyes, shrinkage holes, and decreased adhesion in the coating; insufficient addition will not
effectively improve the leveling effect. Normally, the amount added is 0.01% - 1% of the total mass of the coating, ink or adhesive.
However, this is only a rough range, and the actual amount needs to be determined through strict sample testing. For example,
under laboratory conditions, prepare multiple sets of the same basic formula, add different proportions (such as 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.3%,
0.5%, etc.) of alcohol-soluble leveling agents, make coating samples, observe their leveling effect, surface flatness, glossiness, and
whether there are defects, etc., and select the best addition ratio after comprehensive evaluation.
(II) Choosing the time to add
Alcohol-soluble leveling agents can be added at multiple stages of the production process, each with its own advantages and
disadvantages. Adding in the grinding stage can make it better dispersed evenly with pigments, fillers, etc., which helps to improve
the stability of the entire system, but it may cause some active ingredients to be lost due to subsequent long-term stirring and
processing; adding in the later stage (such as the paint mixing stage) can retain the activity of the leveling agent to the greatest
extent and accurately control its impact on the leveling effect, but it must be ensured that it can be quickly and evenly dispersed
in the system after addition. Generally speaking, for most systems, it is common to add the leveling agent in the paint mixing stage
after grinding, but the specific adjustment still needs to be made according to the actual situation and product characteristics. For
example, for some products that are sensitive to the activity of the leveling agent and are easily ineffective in the early processing,
it is more appropriate to add it in the later stage; and for some systems that need to enhance the pigment dispersion effect, adding
a small amount in the grinding stage and then adding it later is also a feasible method.
(III) Uniform mixing
After adding the leveling agent, it must be ensured that it is evenly dispersed in the system, otherwise there will be problems with
uneven local leveling effects. Commonly used mixing methods are assisted by stirring and dispersing equipment. For small-scale laboratory
operations or small-scale product production, tools such as magnetic stirrers and electric stirring rods can be used to stir at an appropriate
speed for 5-15 minutes. The specific time depends on the complexity and total amount of the system to ensure that the leveling agent is
fully integrated with other ingredients. For large-scale industrial production, professional equipment such as high-speed dispersers and
sand mills are required. When using a high-speed disperser, the leveling agent is generally mixed into the system at a lower speed (such
as 500-800 rpm), and then the speed is gradually increased to 1500-3000 rpm, and dispersed for 10-30 minutes to make the leveling agent
evenly distributed in the entire system. At the same time, pay attention to the state of the system during the mixing process, such as whether
bubbles are generated, whether stratification or flocculation occurs, etc. If there is any abnormality, it is necessary to adjust the mixing
parameters in time or check the compatibility of the leveling agent with the system.
III. Construction application: adaptation and adjustment
(I) Matching construction process
Different construction processes have different requirements for the leveling effect of the coating, and the use of alcohol-soluble leveling
agents also needs to be adapted to them. For example, in the brush coating process, since the paint has a relatively long flow time on the
surface of the coated object, the leveling speed requirement of the leveling agent is relatively low, but it is required to have good
anti-sagging performance to avoid uneven coating thickness; the spraying process requires the leveling agent to quickly reduce the surface
tension of the paint and promote the rapid leveling of the paint after high-speed spraying, while preventing defects such as orange peel
and pinholes caused by too fast solvent evaporation. For the roller coating process, the leveling agent must ensure that the paint evenly
covers the coated object during the roller transfer process and forms a smooth coating during the drying process. Therefore, before
construction, according to the specific characteristics of the construction process, select the appropriate type and amount of alcohol-soluble
leveling agent. If necessary, consult the supplier or refer to the successful cases of similar processes.
(II) Responding to environmental changes
The temperature, humidity and other factors of the construction environment will significantly affect the effect of the alcohol-soluble
leveling agent. In a high temperature environment (such as over 30°C), the solvent volatilization speed is accelerated, which may cause the
leveling agent to be dried before it can fully play its role. At this time, the amount of leveling agent added can be appropriately increased to
extend the flow time of the coating; at the same time, alcohol solvents with higher boiling points can be selected or some slow-drying
solvents can be added to adjust the solvent volatilization rate. In a high humidity environment (such as relative humidity exceeding 70%),
moisture may affect the stability of the leveling agent and the drying speed of the coating, and even cause problems such as whitening
and bubbling of the coating. At this time, on the one hand, it is necessary to ensure that the construction environment is well ventilated
and the humidity is reduced; on the other hand, an alcohol-soluble leveling agent with certain moisture resistance can be selected, or an
appropriate amount of moisture-proof agent (such as butyl glycidyl ether, etc.) can be added to the system. For example, when outdoor
coating construction is carried out in the rainy season in the south, special attention should be paid to the impact of humidity on the
construction effect and corresponding countermeasures should be taken.
IV. Precautions: Safety and Effect Evaluation
(I) Safety Protection
Most alcohol-soluble leveling agents contain organic solvents, which have certain volatility and irritation. During use, safety protection
measures must be taken. Operators should wear protective gloves, goggles and masks to avoid direct skin contact and inhalation of
volatile gases. If the skin is accidentally contacted, it should be immediately rinsed with plenty of clean water and medical treatment
should be sought in time; if it splashes into the eyes, it should be quickly rinsed with plenty of clean water for more than 15 minutes
and medical assistance should be sought as soon as possible. At the same time, the use site should maintain good ventilation to avoid
the accumulation of solvent vapor and prevent safety accidents such as fire or explosion. In addition, the storage and use of the product
should be strictly in accordance with the requirements of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
(II) Effect evaluation and improvement
After using the alcohol-soluble leveling agent, the coating effect should be evaluated in a timely and comprehensive manner. The coating
surface can be observed by naked eyes to see whether it is flat and smooth, whether there are defects such as brush marks, orange peel,
shrinkage cavities, etc., and the gloss meter can be used to measure the gloss of the coating, and compared with the standard sample to
determine whether the leveling agent has achieved the expected effect. If the leveling effect is found to be unsatisfactory, such as local
uneven leveling and insufficient gloss, the cause should be analyzed and improved. Possible reasons include improper selection of
leveling agent, inaccurate addition amount, uneven mixing, unreasonable construction process or environmental factors. According to
different reasons, take corresponding improvement measures, such as re-selection, adjustment of addition amount, optimization of
mixing process, improvement of construction method or improvement of construction environment, until a satisfactory leveling effect
is achieved. At the same time, a complete quality control system should be established to record and analyze the effect of each batch
of products after using alcohol-soluble leveling agent, so as to continuously optimize the use method and improve product quality.
In short, the correct use of alcohol-soluble leveling agent requires strict control of all links from preliminary preparation, use process,
construction application to subsequent precautions. Only in this way can its advantages be fully utilized to bring us high-quality,
beautiful and excellent performance coating products.
