In the GCC's construction and industrial coating market — where coatings are applied to diverse substrates including concrete, steel, aluminium, fibre cement, and polished stone — correct wetting agent selection directly determines whether a coating achieves the specified hiding power, adhesion, and appearance.
Technical specifications
| PARAMETER | SPECIFICATION |
|---|---|
| Types Available | Silicone (polyether-modified), acetylenic diol, fluorosurfactant |
| Surface Tension Reduction | From ~72 mN/m (water) to 20–35 mN/m at 0.1–0.3% |
| For Water-Based Systems | Acetylenic diol (DYNOL/SURFYNOL types), polyether siloxane |
| For Solvent-Based Systems | Low-molecular polyacrylate, fluorosurfactant |
| For Substrate Wetting | Silicone polyether — crawling and cratering prevention |
| For Pigment Wetting | Acetylenic diol or alkyl polyglycoside types |
| Active Content | 50 – 100% (grade dependent) |
| HLB Value | 3 – 13 (grade dependent by application) |
| Packing | 25 kg / 200 kg drums |
| HS Code | 3402.90 |
Applications
- Prevention of Crawling & Cratering — Polyether-modified silicone wetting agents reduce coating surface tension to below the substrate's critical surface tension — preventing crawling, fisheyes, and cratering on low-energy substrates (plastics, aged coatings, contaminated steel) in UAE industrial facilities.
- Concrete Substrate Penetration — Acetylenic diol wetting agents improve coating penetration into porous concrete surfaces in UAE and Saudi Arabia construction applications — enabling better adhesion of epoxy floor coatings, waterproofing primers, and concrete sealers.
- Water-Based Paint Levelling — Substrate wetting additives reduce surface tension in acrylic emulsion paints to ensure uniform flow and levelling across diverse UAE construction substrates — drywall, fibre cement, concrete block, and painted surfaces.
- Ink-Jet & Printing Inks — Fluorosurfactant and acetylenic diol types used in inkjet and flexo printing inks for UAE packaging industry — ensuring uniform dot spread on coated papers and films.
- Agricultural Spray Adjuvants — Wetting agents for pesticide and fertiliser spray formulations used in UAE and Saudi Arabia agricultural applications — improving coverage on waxy plant surfaces.
Key properties
- Significantly reduces surface tension of water-based and solvent-based systems
- Prevents crawling, fisheyes, and cratering on critical substrates
- Improves levelling and anti-flooding/floating performance
- Does not cause permanent foam when used at correct levels
- Improves pigment dispersion by reducing pigment-vehicle interfacial tension
- Compatible with most standard paint additives
- Silicone types: effective at very low levels (0.05–0.3%)
- Acetylenic diol types: also act as defoamers in water-based systems
Usage and recommendations
Substrate wetting agents: add at 0.1–0.5% on total formulation weight. Add to water phase before pigment addition. Do not overdose — excess silicone wetting agent causes inter-coat adhesion problems and can promote foaming. For concrete floor coatings on UAE construction sites: use a penetrating wetting/priming agent in the primer coat. For high-gloss topcoats: silicone polyether types at minimum effective level (0.05–0.15%) to avoid gloss reduction. Always test in your complete formulation — wetting agent interaction with other additives varies significantly.
Packaging
- 25 kg PE Jerry Cans
- 200 kg Drums
- IBC on request
Storage and shelf life
Store in sealed containers at 5–35°C. Acetylenic diol types may solidify at low temperatures — warm gently to redissolve. Shelf life: 24 months.