Formulating Optimized Aqueous Dispersions Using Surface Active Additive Triangulation

By K. Michael Peck

The formulation of aqueous pigment dispersions is en-abled by the use of surface active agents to wet, disperse, and stabilize solid particles or pigments in water as well as to provide letdown compatibilization, defoaming, and application performance. Typically, formulations contain at least two, and often three or more, surface active components that are combined to provide the optimal properties.

These different components can provide synergistic benefits, but, just as often, they can function antagonistically, requiring extensive trial and error testing by a formulator to identify a final formulation. Understanding the functionality of the different surface active components is a critical first step in streamlining formulation development, minimizing development work, and effectively trouble-shooting performance hiccups. A complicating factor in this understanding is the proprietary composition of many additives and pigment surface chemistries.

The absence of this important information severely inhibits a formulator’s ability to apply both theory and experience from one formulation to the next.