Abstract
For almost two decades, it has been known that the addition of colorants to a waterborne latex coating thicknened with an associative thickener will result in a viscosity loss. The influence of surfactants on viscosity variations in waterborne latex coatings, as discussed in our most recent JCTCoatingsTech article,1 is the source of the viscosity decreases. To evaluate this problem, aqueous solutions containing large quantities of five different surfactants, and the smallest particle size of the colorants, carbon black (CB), were prepared. Large quantities of surfactant were used to allow for adsorption on, and stabilization of, CB. When traditional associative polymers (HMHEC, HASE, and a telechelic HEUR) were used to thicken carbon black dispersions, viscosity decreases were not observed, for most of the surfactnat is adsorbed on the CB’s surface. There is enough surfactant, however, to promote viscosity decreases in comb-HEUR thickened CB dispersions. Moving beyond the colorant dispersions, the CB, yellow, or red colorants were then added to a commercial latex paint that contains many surfactants, glycol ether, and coalescing aids, and significant viscosity decreases were observed. The decreases were very dramatic as the colorant concentration was increased to obtain deeper color tones, due to the additional excess surfactant added to the coating. Reduction in total surfactant levels in the colorant was an obvious solution, but this led to rub-up incompatibility. The conflict between viscosity retention and rub-up incompatibility was resolved when the surfactant concentration was reduced by adding to the colorant formulation compositionally different hydrophobically-modified poly(oxyethylenes) and hydrophobe-modified maleic acid co-oligomers.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Mahli, D.M., Steffenhagen, M.J., Xing, L.L., and Glass, J.E., “Surfactant Behavior and Its Influence on the Viscosity of Associative Thickeners Solutions, Thickened Latex Dispersions, and Waterborne Latex Coatings,”Journal of Coatings Technology 75, No. 938, 39 (2003).
Berns, R.S.,Billmeyer and Saltzman’s Principles of Color Technology, 2nd Ed., Wiley-Interscience, New York, 2000.
Sau, A. and Landoll, L.M.,Advances in Chemistry 223: Polymers in Aqueous Media, Performance through Association, Glass, J.E. (Ed.), American Chemical Society: Washington, D.C., Chapt. 18, 1989.
Glass, J.E., “Adsorption Characteristics of Water-Soluble Polymers at Aqueous-Organic Liquid Interfaces,”J. Polym. Sci., 34C, 141–157 (1971).
Vijayendran, B.R., inPolymer Colloids II, Fitch, R.M. (Ed.), Perseus Publishing, p. 209, 1980.
Glass, J.E., “Adsorption and Its Influence on Application Properties,”Advances in Chemistry Series 213, Water-Soluble Polymers: Beauty with Performance, Glass, J.E., (Ed.), American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., Chapt. 5, p. 85–100, 1986.
Glass, J.E., “Adsorption of Hydrophobically-modified, Ethoxylated Urethane Thickeners on Latex and Titanium Dioxide Disperse Phases,”Adv. Colloid Interface Sci., 79, 123–148 (1999).
Glass, J.E., “A Perspective on the History of and Current Research in Surfactant-Modified, Water-Soluble Polymers,Journal of Coatings Technology, 73, No. 913, 79 (2001).
Douillard, J.M., Pougnet, S., Faucompre, B., and Partyka, S.J. Colloid Interface Sci., 154, 113 (1992).
Ma, C. and Xia, Y.,Colloids Surf., 66, 215 (1992).
Bossoletti, L., Ricceri, R., and Garielli, G.,J. Dispersion Sci. Technol., 16 (3&4), 205–220 (1995).
Schwuger, M.J. and Smolka, H.G.,Colloid Polym. Sci., 255, 589–594 (1977).
Miano, F., Bailey, A., Luckham, P.F., and Tadros, T.F.,Colloids Surf., 62, 111 (1992).
Musselman, S.W. and Chandler, S.,J. Colloid Interface Sci., 256, 1 (2002).
Musselman, S.W. and Chandler, S.,Colloids Surf., A, 206, 497 (2002).
Wetzel, W.H., Chen, M., and Glass, J.E., inHydrophilic Polymers: Performance with Environmental Acceptance, Glass, J.E. (Ed.), Advances in Chemistry 248, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., Chapt. 11, 1995.
Karunasena, A. and Glass, J.E.,Prog. Org. Coat., 16(3), 301–320 (1989).
Kaczmarski, J.P., Tarng, M.R., Ma, Z., and Glass, J.E.,Colloids Surf., A, 146, 39–53 (1999).
Ma, Z., Chen, M., and Glass, J.E.,Colloids and Surf., A, 112(2–3), 163–184 (1996).
Lundberg, D.J. and Glass, J.E., “Pigment Stabilization Through Mixed Associative Thickener Interactions,”Journal of Coatings Technology, 64, No. 807, 53–61 (1992).
Kacmarski, J.P., Tarng, M.R., Glass, J.E., and Buchacek, R.J.,Prog. Org. Coat., 30, 15–23 (1997).
Tarng, M., Chen, M., Glass, J.E., and Dickinson, J.G., “Unifying Model for Associative Thickener Influences on Waterborne Coatings: II. Competitive Adsorption of Nonionic Surfactants and HEUR Thickeners on Titanium Dioxide Pretreated with Inorganic Stabilizers and Organic Oligomers Dispersants,”Journal of Coatings Technology 74, No. 935, 45 (2002).
Stoy, W.S. and Garret, M.D., inPigments: Part 1, Myers, R.R. and Long, J.S. (Eds.), Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, Chapt. 5 1975.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Presented in part at the 81st Annual Meeting of the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology, November 13–14, 2003 in Philadelphia, PA
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mahli, D.M., Wegner, J.M., Edward Glass, J. et al. Waterborne latex coatings of color: I. Component influences on viscosity decreases. J Coat Technol Res 2, 627–634 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02774592
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02774592