Preventing surface defects during paint application and improving the appearance of the dried or cured film are key requirements.

Surface defects, such as orange peel, pinholes, craters, fish eyes, etc, are caused by differences and changes in the surface tensions of the liquid paint. An additional and beneficial attriburte for a coating is to have good slip. This so-called “slip” improves the aesthetic impression and helps to protect the film against scratches, metal marking and dirt. Ciba EFKA surface control additives help you achieve that ideal coating surface.

A novel approach is being pursued by Ciba to obtain additional surface effects also in UV-cured coatings. A combination of a surface-active substituents, as part of the initiating species, and the modification and optimization of the chromophore give rise to a new class of photoinitiators that provide improved performance and efficiency, plus additional beneficial effects, even when compared to products recently considered state-of-the-art