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| Paint&pintura |Março2015
lower viscosityandbetter stability.Aspaintmanufacturers
are looking for higher-yieldpigments due to thehigh cost
of these ingredients, theuseofdispersants isgrowing, and
so is thedemand for environmentally compliant products.
A successful useof concentrateswithhighpigment ratios,
lower viscosity and better stability can only be achieved
using superior quality dispersants. Themarket seeks high
performancecombinedwithabettercost-benefitratio,”says
AmadeuPaiva,ofBraschemical’sBusinessIntelligenceteam.
AccordingtoBYKmanagerforLatinAmericaAurélioRocha,
dispersingandwettingadditives,whichcangenerallybeone
productplaying the two roles, are theheartand lungsof a
formulation. “Abad choiceof these additiveswill prevent
the formulation fromhaving the color quality and stability
required for a goodpaint. For BYK, themain thing at this
formulationstageistoachieveaperfectwettingofpigments
and/ormineralfillers.Everythingbeginswithwetting,which
ischemicallymade, and there lies themainactivityof these
additives.Withathoroughchemicalwetting, thedispersion
itself,whichdependsa lotmoreonagoodmechanicalpro-
cess,willbe facilitated.Therefore,whenwe talkabout two
additives, i.e.awettingagentandadispersant, inactually, it
iswettingthat isourchallenge.”
In a nutshell, wetting and dispersing additives are indis-
pensableat thedispersion stage through thepaintmanu-
facturing process, which stage can be divided into three
phases: wetting pigment agglomerates; breaking down
pigmentagglomerates;andstabilizingthepigmentdisper-
sion, according to Lívia Faganello, assistant technician at
Miracema-Nuodex.“Thedispersionprocess isaimedatpro-
ducingprimarypigmentparticles,which,due to theirhigh
surfaceenergyandenvironmentalconditions likehumidity,
impuritiesandelectricalcharges,don’tpresentthemselves
separately,but inassociations,whichcanbeaggregateor
agglomeratetype.Thedispersion isstabilizedusingdisper-
santsthatareabsorbedonparticlesurfaces,keepingthem
apartbymeansoftwomechanisms:electrostaticrepulsion
and/orsterichindrance.”
Líviaalsoexplainsthatelectrostaticrepulsion isachievedby
using dispersants that are polyelectrolytes, i.e. polymeric
moleculeshavingahighamountofelectricalchargesalong
theirchain,whichchargesaretransferredtopigmentparti-
cles, keeping themapart through the repulsiveeffect that
occursbetweenequalelectriccharges.“Thistypeofstabi-
lization ispredominantlyused inwaterbornesystems.The
sterichindranceorstericrepulsionoccursduetothephysical
presenceofpolymerchains,wherebyattractionforcesare
overriddenandthesystem isdispersed.Thisstabilizationtype is
morecommon insolvent-bornesystems.”
TitaniumDioxide-UniqueandEfficientinBrightness
andOpacity
Themarket for titaniumdioxide isexpected tokeeppacewith
thegrowth inother industries,suchasconstruction,automotive
and industrial coatings, andeventually isalso influencedby the
country’s economic situation,making this a year ofmany chal-
lenges fortheentiresupplychain.
Brazil’scurrenteconomydoes indeedhinderbusinessandhave
impactsontheentiresupplychain,accordingtoCamilaPecerini,
productmanagerforLatinAmericaatEvonik’sInorganicMaterials
business.“AlthoughtheeffectsofBrazil’sslowgrowthhavetheir
impacts,adjustmentsarenowbeingmadeandshouldcontribute
toaneconomicupswing.Astheeconomy isbouncingback,seg-
mentsofthemanufacturingsectorarepickingup,includingthose
wheretitaniumdioxide isused.AndEvonikcontinuesbankingon
theBrazilianmarketand itspotential forgrowth.Therefore,we
keeponworking toprovide innovative solutions for improved
performance that canmeet the requirements of customers in
thevarioussegmentsthatweserve.”
In the opinion of Regina Schwab Rubo, business director at
Braschemical, 2015will beayearofmanychallenges. “Asiahas
been very aggressive in trade. This is a challenge for western
manufacturers.Theglobal installedcapacity ismuch largerthan
thedemand, sonewconsolidationsshould takeplace. InBrazil,
themarket is firmly tiedwith quotas. Better or worse import
conditionsdependonacompany’sabilitytogetan importlicense
quickly,whichhasan impactonhowcompetitive itwill beover
thenextfewmonths.Withthat inmind,wearenegotiatingprice
reductionswith our suppliers and partners and bolstering the
optimization of our logistics, as our products are 100-percent
imports. Theproductmixweprovideallowsus to serve custo-
mers invariousmarketsegments,andthatgivesusmoresecurity
because some segmentsarenot asmuchaffectedby thecrisis
asothersare.”
“TheBrazilianmarkethasfeltthe impactof2014’sstagnanteco-
nomy, and judging from the scenarioswearebeingpresented
with bymarket analysts and the current administration’s new
economicteam, thatsituationwill repeat itselfthisyear,”antici-
patesCarloPiergallini,marketingandtechnical servicemanager
at Cristal. “To copewith this predicament in 2015, Cristal has
investedmassively inhumanresources,renewingandexpanding
our sales team toexpandourpresenceatour customers’ sites
and achieveour growthobjectives for this year.We have also
increasedoursupplyofproductsfromotherorigins,bothdirectly
