New biosurfactants from Evonik for paint and coatings applications

The new biosurfactants ego Wet 570 Terra and Tego Wet 580 Terra from Evonik are produced using a special fermentation process and consist of 100 percent natural, renewable raw materials. They have a very low content of volatile organic compounds (VOC), are easily biodegradable and compatible with aquatic organisms. This makes Tego Wet 570 Terra and Tego Wet 580 Terra particularly suitable for water-based paint and varnish formulations. Elias Lacerda, Head of Coating Additives at Evonik, explains: "With our Tego Wet 570 Terra and Tego Wet 580 Terra products, we offer our customers innovative, high-performance solutions that are driving the green transformation in the coatings and printing ink industry." The new products enable fast wetting of pigments and fillers, shorten the grinding time in the dispersion process and reduce energy consumption. This enables customers to save energy and make their production more efficient. Katina Kiep, Head of the Decorative Coatings market segment, says: "Our biosurfactants are ideal for water-based architectural paints. Thanks to their product properties and compliance with the strict EU Ecolabel standards, they are the ideal choice for our customers who want to develop sustainable and future-proof coating solutions."

With its patented, fermentative process for the production of rhamnolipids, Evonik has taken on a pioneering role in the development and production of biosurfactants on an industrial scale. The rhamnolipids are produced in a biotechnological process from renewable raw materials based on corn. The result is a high-performance, toxicologically safe and biodegradable biosurfactant. Tim-Frederic Sloot, Head of Sustainability at Evonik Coating Additives, explains: "The new products demonstrate our innovative strength, but above all our commitment to driving positive change in the development of environmentally friendly solutions and setting new standards in additives for the coatings and printing ink industry." In architectural paints and pigment concentrates, the new biosurfactants improve the wetting of organic and inorganic pigments and serve as co-dispersants. They accelerate the wetting of pigments and fillers, which makes the grinding process more efficient and saves time and energy. In addition, they support good hiding power without compromising film strength and help to eliminate defects in sensitive binders. They increase the bio-based content and show no negative interactions with rheology modifiers. In industrial coatings, Tego Wet 570 Terra and Tego Wet 580 Terra provide excellent substrate wetting for protective coatings and improve pigment wetting and dispersion. They ensure optimum color properties, improved storage stability and good corrosion resistance. In addition, these biosurfactants support the anti-cratering effect in can coatings.