Silane-Modified Silicas as Functional Matting Agents

By Daniel Clingerman

A new silica matting agent has been developed, featuring a mercapto silane-modified surface. Unlike traditional organically modified silicas, which utilize adsorbed waxes on the surface, silane modification offers a new opportunity to introduce reactive functionality into silica additives for coatings. With judicious pairing of surface functionality and resin chemistry, this functionalized surface opens the potential to react with the resin matrix.

This paper will highlight this new class of functionalized silica for coatings and outline areas of potential application, with specific emphasis in cobalt (Co)-free alkyd formulations.