Oxylink™ – an additive for eco-friendly coatings
10/22/2009 With Oxylink™ Buhler has developed a new functional additive for waterborne paints and varnishes which considerably improves the characteristics of coatings. A highly effective and widely applicable additive based on nanoparticle technology, Oxylink™ is particularly suitable for one-component (1K) formulations and importantly it facilitates com-pliance with future environmental requirements. Innovative Oxylink™ is a formulated additive and demonstrates numerous advantages. Among other factors it improves MEK rub resistance, blocking and humidity resistance and it reduces the drying time. Other important parameters such as gloss are not affected. Oxylink™ contains tailor-made nanoparti-cles that improve the coating by direct interaction with the resin. Its effectiveness is determined by the high degree of dispersion of the nanoscaled particles in Oxylink™.Oxylink™ is based on so-called dispersions of inorganic nanoparticles in water and requires a dosage of only 1%. The additive may be used for clear as well as pigmented formulations. In the interests of maximum flexibility for users, Oxylink™ is available in three standard categories (Oxylink™ 3101, 3102 and 3103).
Following the trend for environmental solutions
Thanks to their environmental friendliness, waterborne coatings have already found a substantial mar-ket compared to traditional solvents, for example in the wood sector. This trend is also gaining in impor-tance due to stricter legislation. In the light of generally increasing environmental awareness, the ten-dency towards stricter international regulation continues with the objective of reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). With Oxylink™ Buhler is actively building on this development towards environ-mentally friendly, solvent-free coatings. Not only do waterborne solutions improve existing applications but new market opportunities are also opened up.
Oxylink™ was developed by Buhler PARTEC which, as a subsidiary of the Buhler Group, specialises in the relatively new field of nanotechnology – the processing and refining of nanoparticles (1-100nm) into nanodispersions that are ready for use as additives.