The Spektrochem Paint Raw Materials Technical Center is a modern research facility providing wide service of support for raw materials producers for architectural water-borne paints. In everyday work, the laboratory conducts research aimed at:
- studying raw materials for paints in terms of their efficiency (especially additives)
- determining performance of raw materials in various formulations (polymer dispersions, emulsions, fillers, pigments, reinforcements, etc.)
- developing start point formulations
- tests of prepared paints and coatings in accordance with international test methods
- raw material comparisons, blind competitive tests, etc.
The laboratory conducts research for raw materials that are still being developed, at the R&D stage, and for raw materials that already exist on global markets. Research conducted in the laboratory is focused on the development of starter formulations and formulation guides for raw materials that fit into the sustainability and circular economy.
We specialize in testing the entire range of pigmnt volume concentration of water-based dispersion paints for architectural applications. All tests are carried out taking into account the impact on the compatibility of raw materials in terms of storage stability, tintability and film forming. This is why a significant part of our research are coalescents, surfactants and thickeners, which we compare in terms of compatibility and effectiveness with other raw materials, mainly dispersions of acrylic polymers, vinyl acetate and their copolymers.
We specialize in research conducted in terms of technical recommendations and case studies for coalescents and coalescing surfactants, especially green-additives with zero emission, low or zero VOC. based on renewable resources and circular economy. We carry out tests both in terms of their influence on the formation of coatings (minimum film forming temperature, low-temperature coalescence) and performance in formulations of various PVC in terms of resistance to scrubbing, blocking, odor, weatherability, etc.
The tests carried out in our laboratory are covered by the NDA signed with each client, and the prepared samples are entirely carried out in our R&D laboratory from raw materials subjected to tests received from the client, while the rest are the resources of our raw material library, which contains over 800 items of raw materials from various parts the world.
Each range of prepared samples and formulations are prepared in full agreement with our clients and constitute the basis for further tests, which are also performed fully in our paint and coating test laboratory. We work in accordance with various test standards, mainly ASTM International, of which we are an organizational member. We also carry out tests of our paints in accordance with ISO, DIN, SAE, AATCC, as well as Australian and New Zealand standards.
Our laboratory conducts over 150 different tests of paints and coatings, which are dedicated to determining the influence of raw materials on individual properties of liquid paints, e.g. basic properties (e.g. pH, freeze-thaw stability, fineness of grind), rheological properties (e.g. Brookfield viscosity , Stormer viscosity, ICI viscosity, sagging, spattering, leveling), coating forming properties (e.g. MFFT, LTC, drying time, open time), as well as properties of dry coatings (e.g. weatherability and lightfastness, washability and scrubbability, appearance and color coatings, chemical and mechanical resistance and others).
The laboratory meets the highest safety standards in the area of sample preparation, testing and data collection. All samples are identified in the GHS, NFPA704 and HMIS standards, and the documentation is kept in English and in two systems of measurement units (SI and US customary systems). The laboratory is maintained at a standard temperature of (23 ± 2)°C and a relative air humidity of (50 ± 5)%, and the registration and maintenance of standard conditions throughout the room is carried out around the clock, also measuring the conditions in °F and ensuring (73.5 ± 3.5)°F.
Our services are intended for producers of raw materials for architectural paints, and more specifically their R&D, sales support, technical marketing and business development departments by supporting projects related to the implementation of raw materials in the NAFTA, EU and Asia-Pacific markets by providing extensive data on raw materials. The starter formulations, case studies and guiding formulations prepared by us are an excellent tool to support the introduction of raw materials to the market, which significantly reduces the time of preliminary research in the R&D departments of paint producers and allows the selection of raw materials for own tests in terms of specific formulations at paint manufacturers.
If you are involved in business development in a company that produces raw materials for water-based paints, our laboratory is a must-see place to complement your activities related to staying ahead of the competition in the market.
Waterborne Paint Formulations Blog 