Under the new brand name RHEOBYK, the specialty chemicals company from Wesel has grouped together around 40 organic products from its wide-ranging rheology portfolio for the start of the European Coatings Show (ECS) in Nuremberg. In taking this step, BYK is shining the spotlight on its organic additives and so making it much easier for customers to find their way around its extensive rheology range.
One product presented to trade professionals for the first time at the ECS and attracting special interest was RHEOBYK-440, which has been developed for water-based epoxides and is suitable for a variety of systems. That is because, in the area of sea freight containers especially, the manufacturers of protective coatings have dealt extensively in the last two years with aqueous systems based on the latest epoxy resin dispersions.
These coatings are formulated with a high pigment content and are applied in higher film thicknesses, so that a rheology control agent is needed to adjust coating properties like anti-sagging and anti-settling. However, since established rheology additives in the market are not efficient enough, are not stable, or even do not work at all in epoxy dispersions, a new technology is required.
With RHEOBYK-440, a liquid polyamide-based rheology additive has been developed which offers a tailor-made solution for adjusting the rheological properties in these modern aqueous epoxy systems, while simultaneously complementing the BYK product family of liquid polyamides with a product for various other water-based systems.
Besides optimizing anti-sagging and anti-settling properties in waterborne epoxies, RHEOBYK-440 is suitable for various other aqueous coatings, e.g. for achieving good effect pigment orientation.
For more information, see: www.byk.com/rheobyk
BYK is one of the world’s leading suppliers in the field of additives and measuring instruments. Additives are chemical substances which, when used in small quantities, improve product properties such as scratch resistance or surface gloss. Manufacturing processes are also optimized by the addition of additives.
The coatings, inks, and plastics industries are among the main consumers of BYK additives. Yet with the production of oil and gas, the manufacture of care products, the production of adhesives and sealants, and construction chemistry, too, BYK additives improve the product characteristics and production processes. Testing and measuring instruments from BYK can effectively evaluate the quality of color, gloss, and appearance as well as the physical properties of paint, plastic, and paper products and are an important part of quality control.
As a globally operating specialty chemicals company, BYK has production sites in Germany (Wesel, Kempen, Moosburg, Schkopau and Geretsried), in the Netherlands (Deventer, Njiverdal and Denekamp), in Great Britain (Widnes), in the US (Wallingford, Chester, Gonzales, Louisville and Earth City) and in China (Tongling).
Today the company employs more than 2,300 people worldwide and forms part of the ALTANA Group.
