New Dibenzoate Plasticizer/Coalescent Blend for Low-VOC Coating Formulations

By William D. Arendt, Emily L. McBride

Coatings formulators are increasingly faced with the challenge of reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) while providing a coating with optimal performance characteristics. To assist formulators, raw material suppliers continue to develop new, lower VOC products. As an answer to this need for compatible low-VOC coalescents, a next generation low-VOC dibenzoate plasticizer/coalescent platform has been developed.

Low-VOC film forming aids allow the formulator to use conventional, well recognized emulsion systems in formulating paints and other coatings. An evaluation was conducted with three common base emulsions and formulations to demonstrate the utility of one of this new family of coalescents/plasticizers. This new film forming aid was evaluated primarily against newer low-VOC plasticizers/coalescents, including a second generation dibenzoate blend.

The results of the evaluation indicated that this new low-VOC coalescent is compatible, efficient, and performs well in common emulsions used in latex coatings.