The main trend in mineral fillers is to turn from
just fillers to mineral agents. Today, minerals
cease to be just primary goods, turning into
more complex raw materials that add value to
the end product. “In the industry, mineral fil-
lers should no longer be considered fillers, but
mineral additives, as manufacturers have been
acknowledging each day the need and importan-
ce of minerals in their formulation. There is a
trend towards replacing synthetic additives with
mineral ones,” says Marcelo Mônaco da Cunha,
sales director at Brasilminas.
Another major development in the industry is
nano-technology applied to mineral fillers, i.e.
materials processed on a nano-metric scale, of
one billionth of a meter, which provide such im-
portant properties heat resistance, color streng-
th, chemical reactivity and electric conductivity,
among others. In addition, a key differentiation
provided by nano-technology is that it enhances
the physical and chemical properties of ma-
terials, sparking great interest and becoming
more and more important for future technologi-
cal applications.
Polyurethane Resins - Extensively used in
the paint industry
Classified as specialty chemicals, polyurethane
resins are used in a wide variety of applications
because their main functions are directly rela-
ted to durability, adhesion properties, resilience,
chemical and physical strength, abrasion resis-
tance and curing speed, among other things.
Polyurethane (PU) coatings are based on the
polyurethane links that result from the reac-
tion of polyols with polyisocyanates and feature
outstanding chemical strength and abrasion re-
sistance. They can also ensure excellent weathe-
ring resistance when used in fairly UV-resistant
raw materials, such as aliphatic polyisocya-
nates. “This type of resin is primarily used in
two-component (2K) coatings, whether clear or
pigmented, as well as non-reactive systems, such
as PU thermoplastic lacquers, PU dispersions,
urethane-modified alkyds, and radiation-curing
polyurethanes. In addition, polyurethane syste-
ms are massively used in primers and topcoats
for both OEM finish and refinish, coatings for
trucks, buses, airplanes, ships and trains, an-
ticorrosive coatings, and coatings for plastics,
wood and flooring systems,” says José Roberto
Capozzi Junior, coatings sales manager at BASF.
Coatings containing polyurethane resins in their
formulation feature key properties like gloss,