Silicone additives improve the surface slip properties of coatings. Often, however, it is not the slip itself but rather the addition of slip properties along with other features of a coating that are of prime interest. Obviously, surfaces with higher slip are more scratch resistant, less easily soiled, easier to clean, and more resistant to blocking. The level of improvement in the surface slip again depends on the chemical structure of the silicones and is directly linked to the proportion of dimethylsiloxane groups. Products with many dimethylsiloxane groups result in a high surface slip, while methyl alkyl polysiloxanes do not increase slip very much. Silicone surfactants, due to their small chain length, do not noticeably increase slip in the majority of coating systems. If more slip is nonetheless required, they must be combined with other silicone additives.
Good tape release properties are often required, especially in (but not limited to) the field of furniture coatings. This means that adhesive tape and labels can be removed from the coating easily and without leaving any residue. Silicone additives have an impact on this property. Specific additives are also provided with acrylic functions and can therefore be incorporated into the binder matrix in radiation-curable formulations.
