Could you recommend suitable alternatives for polyurethane and acrylate based thickeners for water borne paints ?
There is a wide range of organic thickening agents of which we would single out additives based on carbohydrate or albumins, such as proteins, starch derivatives, mannans and galactomannans, alginates and polyuronides. There are noted not only for their rheological effect bus also for their stabilising and dispersing effect.
Another advantage is that they are physiologically inert, i.e. non toxic. Synthetic products include vinyl alcohol copolymers and polyvinyl pyrrolidone althoug here one must climinate the inherent water solubility during film formation. Fatty acid salt may be used to increase the viscosity.
Such compounds also bring other advantages in that they help in the dispersionof pigments and fillers and prevent sedimentation.
The formulation latitude for these compounds is relatively wide. They include palmiates, oleates, stearates and laurates and the metallic component can be varied. Alumunium is widely used as the metal component.
