Introduction of BASF Luwax AF

The Luwax AF series of micronized waxes made by BASF’s production process consists of regular spherical particles with a narrow particle size distribution, uniform fineness and can be used in any kind of coating paints and inks to improve the rub resistance and smoothness of the paint film.

Luwax AF wax has a spherical particle appearance, reduces sliding friction on the printing surface to the extent of the ink, has a uniform fineness that allows it to be dispersed with the pigment, can be added to the ink as a dispersion or concentrated paste at room temperature, and can be added directly with agitation without solvents or heat.

Note: After mixing with the ink, avoid exposure to high temperatures, which can lead to the breakdown of the small homogeneous spherical structure and the formation of coarse and irregular particles. Highly concentrated dispersions can be produced at room temperature by dissolving them in solvents in a very common way.

① The surface tension of water is high. When increasing the amount of water, the amount of surfactant must be increased accordingly. Water-based coatings contain water, but require water resistance after film formation. Although the water in the paint will evaporate, the surfactant will permanently remain in the paint film and damage the water resistance of the paint film.
② High water content will inevitably lead to low solid content. When the coating film turns from liquid to solid, the porosity between particles is high, resulting in high water absorption of the coating. As exterior wall paint, dirty rainwater penetrates into the paint film. After the water evaporates, the dirt remains in the pores to form tear marks.
③The low viscosity of water causes the coating to stratify. If a large amount of hydrated thickener is used, it will cause leveling defects.
④ Toning is difficult, the compatibility of organic pigment pastes with water is limited, and large molecular weight thickeners will also affect the color development.
⑤It is difficult to choose a defoamer. If the amount of water is large, a defoamer with good water dispersibility should be used, but a defoamer with good water dispersibility has poor durability.

It is relatively simple for latex paint to control the quality of water, but it is relatively difficult to actually prepare high-volume paint. The main reason is that the solid content of the emulsion as a film-forming substance is too low (48%~50%), and the density of inorganic matter is too high, so regardless of the level of PVC, the actual solid volume fraction of latex paint per ton is generally about 40%. But if calculated by mass solids, the higher the PVC, the higher the solids. The coating film is composed of area and thickness, which is the concept of volume. Therefore, it is unscientific to design formulas based on Yan to base ratio and to sell coatings based on quality. Trying to increase the volume fraction of latex paint without increasing the low-shear viscosity is a shortcut for preparing high-performance coatings.

Comparison of the non-volatile volume of different PVC wax coatings.