Advantages of silicone-free wetting agents
Silicone-free wetting agents (such as polyethers, fluorocarbons, and polyacrylates) have shown significant
advantages in industrial applications due to their unique chemical structure and performance characteristics,
especially in scenarios where silicone migration, contamination, or interference need to be avoided. The following
analysis is carried out from four dimensions: performance, process, environmental protection, and regulatory
compliance:
1. Performance advantages
Avoiding cavitation and fisheye defects
Silicone wetting agents tend to form low surface tension areas when migrating on the coating surface, resulting
in cavitation or "fisheye" defects.
Case: In UV-curing coatings, silicone-free fluorocarbon wetting agents (such as FC-4430) can evenly wet low surface
energy substrates (such as PP, PET) to avoid surface defects caused by silicone migration.
Improve recoatability and interlayer adhesion
Silicone residues will reduce the adhesion of the coating to the substrate or the upper coating, resulting in poor
recoatability.
Application: In automotive coating, the use of polyacrylate wetting agents can ensure strong adhesion between primer
and topcoat and avoid peeling problems caused by silicone.
Enhanced chemical resistance and weather resistance
Some silicone-free wetting agents (such as fluorocarbons) have excellent chemical corrosion resistance and weather
resistance.
Case: In marine anti-corrosion coatings, fluorocarbon wetting agents can stably wet metal substrates for a long time while
resisting salt spray erosion.
2. Process compatibility advantages
Compatible with a variety of resin systems
Silicones may react with certain resins (such as UV-curing resins and epoxy resins), affecting curing efficiency or performance.
Advantages: Silicone-free wetting agents (such as polyethers) can work synergistically with a variety of resin systems such as
acrylates, polyurethanes, and epoxies without worrying about reactivity.
Synergistic defoaming and leveling effects
Silicone defoamers may be incompatible with wetting agents, resulting in failure of foam control or decreased wetting.
Solution: Silicone-free wetting agents can be used with mineral oil and polyether defoamers to achieve a balanced control
of foam and wetting.
Low temperature stability
Silicones may crystallize or precipitate at low temperatures, affecting the stability of the formula.
Advantages: Silicone-free wetting agents (such as polyacrylates) remain stable in the range of -10°C to 50°C and are
suitable for harsh environments.
3. Environmental protection and regulatory compliance advantages
Compliance with environmental regulations
EU REACH, US FDA and other regulations have strict restrictions on the migration and bioaccumulation of silicones.
Case: In food packaging coatings, silicone-free wetting agents can prevent siloxanes from migrating into food to ensure safety.
Biocompatibility
Silicones may cause human allergies or biotoxicity risks.
Application: In medical device coatings, the use of polyether wetting agents can ensure biocompatibility with human tissues.
Reduce VOC emissions
Some silicone-free wetting agents (such as water-based polyethers) are completely soluble in water, without the need for
organic solvent dilution, reducing VOC emissions.
4. Targeted advantages in application scenarios
Electronic materials field
Silicones may contaminate sensitive electronic components (such as PCBs and chips).
Solution: Fluorocarbon wetting agents can improve the wettability of low surface energy materials (such as PI films and
ceramic substrates) while avoiding silicone contamination.
Water-based coatings and inks
Residual silicone defoamers may cause the foam control of water-based systems to fail.
Advantages: Silicone-free polyether wetting agents can work with mineral oil defoamers to achieve a balance between
foam and wetting.
High-performance coatings
Aerospace and automotive coatings require long-term high temperature and chemical corrosion resistance.
Case: Fluorocarbon wetting agents can improve the wettability of coatings on metal substrates while ensuring weather
resistance.
Summary
Silicone-free wetting agents have shown significant advantages in avoiding craters, improving recoatability, and enhancing
chemical resistance through chemical structures such as polyether, fluorocarbon, and polyacrylate. Its compatibility with a
variety of resin systems and compliance with environmental regulations make it the first choice in high-end fields such as
UV curing, water-based systems, and electronic materials. When choosing, it is necessary to match it according to the
substrate type, process conditions, and performance requirements to achieve the best effect.
