Our VisiOn
i2 Innovation at BYK
Seek Opportunities Achieve Results: that´s the innovative culture of BYK USA. Page 22
In our customer seminars we communi-cate important practical knowledge for everyday situations. Page 12
Dr. Michael Berkei on the advantages of our ready-to-use CNT dispersions. Page 60
“Adhesives and sealants are an attractive market for BYK,” says Jan Lenz. Page 46
China is a market with strategic priority for us and we maintain several branches there. Page 18
Inkjet printing is indispensible in advertising. Our BYKJET® additives improve color quality. Page 44
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i2 Innovation at BYK
WHAT IS INNOVATIVE?
We listen to what our customers around the globe are saying and that´s why ideas for new solutions flourish.
WHAT IS INNOVATIVE? 5–10
6 Our vision of innovation
8 Conversations with customers inspire: voices from Asia
WHO ARE THE INNOVATORS? 11–30
12 The perspective makes the difference
18 Staying in tune with the market
22 Innovation culture made in the USA
24 Innovations make life easier: voices from the USA
28 Good service – satisfied customers
HOW ARE WE INNOVATIVE? 31–54
32 Well-equipped for the future
38 Brilliant and universally applicable
40 Innovative polymer emulsifiers on the basis
of T.A.P.E. technology
42 Successful concept now for aqueous systems
43 Dispersing agents for organic pigments and carbon blacks
44 BYKJET® additives for brilliant advertising
46 Special commitment
Interview with Jan Lenz
50 With both feet firmly planted in the clouds …
52 Coupling agent success story
WHY ARE WE INNOVATIVE? 55–73
56 Tools for new surfaces
Interview with Dr. Birthe Borup
60 Tiny tubes, intelligently connected
Interview with Dr. Michael Berkei
64 A new class of surface additives made with
macromer technology
70 Additives for eco-friendly formulations
75 Imprint
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i2 Innovation at BYK
The very heart of our innovation process is our workforce of dedicated and motivated EmplOyEES throughout the world. They are focused on developing the best possible solutions for our customers.
The starting point for new ideas is our basic understanding of clOSE cooperation. We listen to our customers and help them with individual, specific questions. This is made possible in large measure through the tech-nical equipment and resources of our laboratories all over the world which enable us to replicate our customers’ production processes. Recognizing new trends and challenges early on and supplying answers that genuinely benefit our customers are fundamental to our concept of innovation.
We not only focus on continuously OpTImIzINg our products, but we are also always working to develop new markets for those products. We often find that the functional mechanisms of our products can be transferred to applications outside of the original scope. Such transfer processes allow us to acquire new expertise, which in turn enables us to develop other new products for those markets.
Being innovative also means identifying pOTENTIAlS . This is particularly true when it comes to the use of key pioneering technologies. We do not consider advanced technology as an end in itself, but rather a means of generating added value. With this philosophy in mind we are developing specifically targeted nanotechnology and biotechnology applications. Both fields offer highly promising potentials for innovative additives, thereby making it possible to create new products that will provide our customers with even greater advantages.
Our vision of innovation
We provide our customers with solutions and services that offer them a competitive edge of their own.
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i2 Innovation at BYK
High-speed trains and telecommunications have altered our lives dramatically.
Today our entire IT is based on telecommunication networks. For the future, I
would like to see a worldwide recycling society in order to make the most efficient
use of resources. A clean, safe, and effective energy system would also be very
important. My best ideas occur to me either when I’m around people or when
I’m dreaming – and also sometimes when I have to wait for a plane or a bus.
Conversations with customers inspire: voices from Asia
In my opinion, there are two paths of innovation which have recently had a
strong impact on our lives. The first is the internet and all of the opportunities it
offers, such as YouTube and shopping; and the other is the medical progress,
which has extended people’s life expectancy. That’s one of the reasons why I
think it would be a good thing if we would focus more of our innovations more
closely on addressing the needs of an ageing society in the future. From my
point of view, a care robot would be useful, for example. Generally speaking, for
instance, I would like to have sources of alternative energy based on methane
hydrate. Innovations in agriculture are also important in order to ensure economic
independence.
Personally, I get my best ideas when I’m relaxed – while jogging, just before
falling asleep, or when I’m together with friends. Sometimes customer meetings
are also extremely inspiring and great things occur to me then.
Apart from medical progress, for asthma patients, for example, and general
technological development, I think there’s one innovation that really stands out:
Thanks to the PC, we no longer have to write things by hand! That’s what I call
progress. With regard to future innovations, there are plenty of things I would
like to see: A society in which everyone can be healthy and happy, in which
everyone has enough to eat, and in which conflict is reduced to an absolute
minimum. Culture or religion should not create barriers.
My most innovative moments are when I am outside in natural surroundings –
on a hike along a river, for instance, or bathing in a hot spring. Being in the
company of others – friends or customers – often has a very inspiring effect on
me as well.
Akihiro Wakahara
Technical Manager, Additives
Tokyo
Innovation is a process that has to be a fundamental part of everyday life
throughout the company – from the very top right down to each and every team
member. This requires openness and a willingness to accept risk. A positive atti-
tude, the ability to address new problems, competition, and broad knowledge
all promote innovative capacity. To me, innovation means more than just new
products. It’s all about creatively driving business success as a whole. In order to
do that, we have to meet the customers’ demands and create solutions that they
will accept.
Innovations – these are the truly major advancements in technology. In the
recent past, telecommunications and computer technology have brought us
revolutionary changes. For example, they altered classical production methods
affecting people’s lifestyles just as much as their work efficiency. Moreover, new
markets and niche industries have emerged. I believe that these technologies
will continue to affect us in new ways.
For the future, I would like us to have more waterborne technologies. Water can
be emulsified by means of additives and then further processed. Water could
also be used as an energy source for cars or other vehicles. People will be glad to
have 100% waterborne products and technologies. Some day solvent-borne
products will disappear entirely.
Major events, whether in the environment or in society, often trigger the inno-
vation process. They put us in a reflective mood and that can give rise to new
ideas.
Keisuke Sakuragi
Lab Manager
Technical Service Lab
Hyogo
Shinji Hino
Assistant Lab Manager
Technical Service Lab
Hyogo
Alec Li
Technical Manager
Shanghai
You Yu Fe
Head of Industrial Applications
Business Line
Nanjing
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i2 Innovation at BYK
WHO ARE THE INNOVATORS?
Innovation – it’s customer-focused. This has always been the way we work and
think at BYK. Customer focus is the basis for our success and for our market
leadership. Customer focus is extremely important in Chinese markets today. We
must on the one hand differentiate between the multinational corporations
who are active here, and on the other hand, the local, purely Chinese companies.
The latter are becoming more and more important for BYK because they work
with their own formulations, raw materials, and processes.
Chinese customers also differ significantly from one another in other respects.
There are the companies that want to deliver good quality and then there are
companies who pay very close attention to price-performance ratio without
necessarily making excellent quality their top priority. Many of these companies
too – including a number of multinational corporations – are now following the
trend towards adapting their formulations to market conditions in order to
keep production costs low.
BYK already has experience with tailor-made products for selected key custom-
ers in the past. These customers received customized innovations to meet their
very specific needs. This approach to tailor-made LP products has an extraordi-
narily bright future in China and that’s why we should continue to pursue it.
The way I see it, customer focus includes more than just providing the right
products. Our processes, and above all a well-qualified, dedicated and motivated
workforce really help drive innovation at BYK.
Innovation is a process that is initiated by corporate management and is carried
out through all teams right down to the individual employees. But it’s also an
attitude that takes the form of openness and the willingness to take risks; that
means saying “yes” more often than “no”.
As a company, you have to link the “outside in” and the “inside out” perspectives
with one another because the market-oriented and resource-oriented views are
interconnected. It’s important to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses
while understanding customers, competitors, and the environment at the same
time.
Innovation is about more than just products: It also includes processes, services,
and the way a company organizes itself. I would really like to see innovations in
which product developments are accompanied by services, customer demands,
and operational advancements.
Pan Yong
Product Group Manager /
Laboratory Department Head
Shanghai
He Jidong
Director of Sales and Marketing,
Paint Additives
Shanghai
Together we can achieve more. That is why teamwork often extends between the continents. Impressive solutions are born in the process.
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The perspective makes the difference
Our customer seminars communicate important practical knowledge about additives.
i2 Innovation at BYKi2 Our Vision
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i2 Innovation at BYK
22
The platform established for this purpose is our customer
seminar program that we have been running for many ye-
ars now. Many of our longstanding customers appreciate
this opportunity because it offers outstanding training and
continuing education for their employees.
The recipe for success for our seminars is both simple and
persuasive: The perspective makes the difference. We want
to pass along all of the information that we think is worth
knowing, but that’s not what determines the selection of
topics and the organization of the sessions. Instead, what
really matters is what our customers think: What questions
and issues do they encounter in their everyday work when
they are formulating their products and systems and
working with additives? And in that context, what very
concrete possibilities do BYK’s additives open up for them?
Recommended ways to work with our products
Our instructors are ready to provide valuable information
and advice. This has already proven effective in practical
applications. They explain which factors are important for
the selection of a specific additive, how our products should
be added, and how best to incorporate them in the respec-
tive formulation. They also describe which methods and
equipment can be used to test the results – equipment from
BYK-Gardner, for example.
Many of our suggestions are based on specific customer
enquiries from the past. Among those cases, we found that
certain problems can be resolved without much trouble.
A minor change in the formulation or in the equipment
setup can improve the end product considerably.
Our customers buy more than just products. Along with our additives, they also acquire knowledge at the same time – knowledge comprising the savoir faire that our experts have gained over the course of decades of experience with users. We are glad to pass that knowledge along.
Sonja Wydra (left) does behind-the-scenes planning. Kirsten Siebenmark (right) is an on-site customer consultant.
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i2 Innovation at BYK
The language of the seminar depends on the group of
participants. If the group is made up of people from different
countries, our employees lecture exclusively in English. We
also offer seminars in German for our customers from
Germany. For customers from China, Japan and Korea,
we interpret the contents in the appropriate language
simultaneously.
The different multi-day programs cover an extremely broad
range of subjects. Some give an overview of major product
groups. These include wetting and dispersing additives,
rheology or surface additives, defoamers, adhesion promot-
ers, UV absorbers and nano additives, for example. Other
seminars are dedicated to specific application areas. Semi-
nars in this category include ones on our additives for the
PVC industry, for example, or for paper coatings.
Practical demonstrations illustrate functional principles
Regardless of the specific topics they examine, our seminars
all feature practical demonstrations which make it possible
to actually experience how our solutions function. Our
instructors generally have an application engineering
background and have extensive experience in the industrial
applications. Depending on the topic, they give live presen-
tations, simulate laboratory situations, or show videos. BYK
has compiled an extensive database just for these seminars,
with video presentations which illustrate the effect of our
additives.
The personal exchange with our experts plays a key role in
these sessions. That’s why the end-use managers of the
respective industrial segments are always present. Our
guests also have the opportunity to exchange information
and ideas with employees from Research & Development,
Sales & Marketing, and with the product group managers.
To promote that exchange, the seminar days close with an
informal “meet the expert” wrap-up session.
As a general rule, we invite our customers to our headquar-
ters in Wesel, where they also have the opportunity to tour
our laboratories, production facilities and logistics center.
This gives our customers a complete and completely trans-
parent-view of our company and of the way we work.
Guarantee of success: the seminar team
“For many of our customers’ employees, their visit to Wesel
marks their first trip to Germany so we make every effort to
schedule seminars during seasons of the year when the
landscape and culture of our region are especially attractive.
Asparagus season is very popular because it gives our guests
the chance to experience unforgettable culinary delights,”
agree Sonja Wydra and Kirsten Siebenmark – and they have
good reason to know.
Ultimately it is our seminar team that guarantees the suc-
cess of these events. In close cooperation with the heads of
the business units and with the sales managers, the team
handles all planning and preparation and then takes care
of all the details on site for a smooth and successful partici-
pant experience. This includes compiling the information
materials which the guests can use to get a clearer under-
standing of the course content.
The team also compiles the presentation materials and trai-
ning documentation for the participants on an individual
basis. In addition, our seminar team is responsible for regis-
trations, hotel bookings, room assignments, and bus trans-
fers during the seminar days, along with the organization
of the entertainment program. Upon completion of the ses-
sions, the team members make sure that every participant
receives a certificate that also serves as confirmation of the
successfully completed continuing education program.
We invite participants from all over the world to our semi-
nars. We also customize the processes and formats of the
sessions to suit the specific group of customers involved.
Some of our guests have a keen interest in more than just
practical knowledge. They also want to learn about the basic
scientific principles pertaining to the additives and their
functional mechanisms. The corresponding presentations
form an integral part of the seminar and are also included
in the handouts that all seminar participants receive at the
conclusion of the session.
Along with the seminars in Wesel, we also offer special
events at our customer’s facilities in which we concentrate
exclusively on the markets in their specific area. These
events also give our customers the opportunity to follow
the session in their own language.
Holger Wach welcomes our customers at the seminar.
Presentations and practice-related demonstrations elucidate the way our additives function.
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i2 Our Vision i2 Innovation at BYK
Staying in tune with the market
Members of the BYK sales organization are the first to learn what customers want in the future.
Innovations are only a means to an end and make no sense
unless they provide a benefit to the market. But what
direction are developments in the market taking? What
will our customers need in the future? The people who
always stay in tune with the market are the ones who know
the answers to these questions: our sales staff.
The sales organization is the interface between the market
and the company. Field representatives are the relationship
managers between the customers and BYK. They are the
first to know about new trends and customer demands and
keep the company informed about these developments on
a continuous basis. This is also how we will maintain our
consistent customer focus in the future.
At BYK we believe that maintaining a close dialog with our
sales representatives, agents and distributors is extremely
important. In addition to the exchange of information via
phone contact, e-mail and our Customer Relationship
Management system, most of our sales representatives
from throughout Europe and overseas also travel to Wesel
several times per year for meetings and training courses.
Regional contacts all over the world
No matter where BYK customers are located, there are lo-
cal BYK experts who are highly qualified in their specialty
area and are always available as contacts. This builds trust
and ensures personal contact at all times. The BYK sales
staff perform a wide range of functions; they handle order
acceptance and order samples, provide our customers with
product data sheets, and answer specific inquiries.
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Even more importantly, they maintain direct contact with
the customers by meeting with them personally to
inform them of the latest developments in the market and
at BYK. Our sales representatives, agents and distributors
receive regular training on technical and marketing topics.
Extensive information about new products is provided in
the form of presentations and through hands-on training
courses in our laboratories. This ensures that sales repre-
sentatives are always ready to share the latest know-how
about products and technologies when they meet with
customers.
Our sales organization is structured both by region and
also according to the three Business Lines: Coatings,
Plastics, and Industrial Applications. Each field representa-
tive usually supports multiple customers of a Business Line
within their region. They stay in constant contact with the
technicians and researchers and also with the buyers. That’s
how our field representatives, agents and distributors
always know exactly what the customers have on their mind.
They pass that knowledge along to us at BYK headquarters.
Their point of contact is the relevant sales department that
reports the incoming information to the Business Line.
We use that information to continuously update our assess-
ments of current and future trends in the markets.
A market with a bright future: China
With its huge potential for the future, China has already
been a very important market for BYK for more than 20
years. It is making a significant contribution to our growth
and we have been giving it a high strategic priority. That’s
why BYK has established an extensive network of sales
representatives and agents in China.
The main sales office for BYK in China is located in the
country’s most important industrial city, Shanghai. We also
maintain regional offices in Beijing and Guangzhou. Each
of the three locations also has a service laboratory. We have
production facilities in Tongling, a major industrial city on
the banks of the Yangtze River – the world’s third longest
after the Nile and the Amazon. Our agents are represented
in many cities throughout the country, including Nanjing,
Wuhan, Qingdao and Chengdu, where they provide local
support to the customers.
This sales organization enables us to cover the three most
important economic regions – North, Central, and South
China – where most of our target customers are located.
Our dedicated team in China has an excellent knowledge
of the regional markets. With regard to technical issues,
our specifically trained employees are always able to com-
municate the required solutions. Having our service labora-
tories located near the customer plays an important role in
this respect.
Proactive thinking combined with a sense of harmony
All of the employees of the BYK sales organization in China
have earned at least one college degree. More than 20%
of them hold degrees which are equivalent to a Master of
Science (MS) or a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Team spirit, openness, proactive thinking and action, and a
goal-oriented approach are the hallmarks of our team.
These characteristics combined create an overall sense of
harmony that the Chinese particularly appreciate.
Our employees see themselves as advisors to their custom-
ers and have a comprehensive perspective that enables
them to give our clients valuable information. He Jidong,
Director of Sales & Marketing for Coating Additives in
Shanghai, sums up the approach of his team this way: “We
concentrate entirely on satisfying the demands of our cus-
tomers.” As You Yu Fei, Head of the Industrial Applications
Business Line, Nanjing elaborates, “Their expectations and
values are often the starting point of our actions.”
Advisors to our customers
Richard Peng is BYK’s Technical Service Manager in Guang-
zhou, the city of eight million located near Hong Kong
in southern China. Mr. Peng reports: “As advisors to our
customers, we sell more than just a product: We also provide
active support to help optimize quality and performance.
Our products have to do more than just satisfy customer
requirements: They also have to be able to meet statutory
and environmental regulations.”
With its presence in China, BYK has established a good rep-
utation in what is one of the most important markets in the
world. The BYK brand is associated with reliable, high-per-
formance products, and with excellent problem-solving
expertise. With three service laboratories, an extensive
sales organization, and regular personal contacts between
customers and BYK experts, our network forms the basis
for our continued successful development in China.
Our main Chinese sales center is located in the
metropolis Shanghai. cOATINgS
plASTIcS
INDUSTRIAl ApplIcATIONS
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i2 Innovation at BYK
With the customer always in mind, BYK USA has continually
looked for new ways to be more efficient and effective at
seemingly everyday work tasks. Continuing to do things
just because “it’s the way we’ve always done them” is an
unacceptable sentiment.
Seek Opportunities Achieve Results
To ensure that no employee gets complacent, BYK USA
proactively tasks diverse, cross-functional groups of employ-
ees with projects and challenges designed to make BYK
USA a more innovative and customer-focused company.
This internal program is called SOAR (Seek Opportunities,
Achieve Results). SOAR provides the opportunity for em-
ploy ees to contribute to the company in ways outside of
their day-to-day job functions, and enables them to develop
a broader view of the organization. It has resulted in the
completion and implementation of more than 25 internal
projects, ranging from improving the way we sample
products to maintaining a more operational inventory.
Distribution support network
Great ideas require implementation to truly be considered
innovation, and BYK USA has executed several. To most
effectively service all customers, the entire sales and market-
ing organization was restructured with a principal group
dedicated to supporting the efforts of distribution. This
core team liaises and provides technical resources for distri-
bution customers while allowing direct accounts unparal-
leled access to BYK USA’s technical sales team, end use, and
market managers.
Successful marketing by SMT teams
Successful marketing of new or existing additives in the
NAFTA region requires alignment of key people in the
organization. Spearheaded and managed by the laboratory
manager, SMT (sales, marketing, and technology) teams
were formed to ensure streamlined and cohesive technical
and commercial service for defined customers. This innova-
tive and collaborative approach maximizes knowledge, and
promotes communication essential to best service custom-
ers’ needs.
Innovative thinking
Recently, BYK USA made a pledge to formally instill a
culture of innovation into each and every area of the com-
pany. A diverse team of BYK employees trained in innova-
tion and creative thinking now functions to infuse this com-
mitment and spirit throughout the company. Known as the
i-Team, this group of four is actively implementing new
skills and techniques to break through innovation barriers,
and managing the creative process. Members of this team
have already facilitated internal innovation workshops
which have resulted in the generation of several hundred
ideas and the initiation of two new SOAR projects.
Research shows that 67% of the statistical variance in the climate for creativity in an organization is directly related to the behaviors of the leader of that organization. This is certainly true at BYK USA where the leadership not only promotes but also truly embodies innovation. Being innovative means walking-the-walk and not just talking-the-talk – and at BYK USA that is exactly what you’ll find.
“That’s the way we’ve always done things” is not part of the everyday language at BYK USA.
Innovation culture made in the USA
Being innovative means walking-the-walk and not just talking-the-talk. Author: Jill St. John
SMT teams ensure first-class support for our customers.
The innovation team fosters innovative and creative thinking throughout the whole enterprise.
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Innovations make life
easier: voices from
the USA
Functionality incorporated into the
smartphone has been important for me,
and I would assume almost everybody else.
Who could have imagined, even ten years
ago, that you could carry in your pocket
one device that could be used as a phone,
appointment book, contact list, e-mail
terminal, navigation system, stereo,
internet browser, calculator, alarm clock
and so much more. It can even be used to
find out how far away you are from the
hole on a golf course!
Kevin Lassila, Technical Director &
Innovation Team Leader, BYK USA
I get my best ideas in the morning, either at the health club or driving
in the car to work. Driving is always a bit of a problem especially in
trying to figure out how to capture those ideas. There are many days
when I have a hard time trying to figure out what I had written!
Bruce Seeber, Business Line Manager, BYK USA
I get my best ideas while I’m asleep. My dreams have given me a fresh
approach to many aspects in my life.
Dianna Wanczyk, Accounting Manager & Innovation Team Leader, BYK USA
I think the use of advanced materials
in sporting goods has been an important
innovation. These advanced materials
make sports like golf and tennis much
more enjoyable for me.
Erik Hulting, Technical Sales Representative &
Innovation Team Leader, BYK USA
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I’ve always thought it would be great if we
had a TV screen on our foreheads that
showed what we were really thinking...now
that would be innovative!
Jill St. John, Marketing Services Manager &
Innovation Team Leader, BYK USA
I am very interested in improvements
that allow people to accomplish their
normal day to day tasks in the most
efficient manner thereby allowing them
more time for items such as analytics and
strategic thought.
Nick Caputi, CFO, BYK USA
My best ideas come when I am interacting with other people. They may
say something that can trigger a thought and then we can bounce it back
and forth to come up with something really interesting.
Dirk Plas, President, BYK USA
Innovations most important to me are
those that improve and positively impact
my life and the lives of those around me.
Lindsay Oddo, Marketing Services
Coordinator, BYK USA
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“ Our customer service employees know that innovation and working closely with the customer are intrinsically linked.”
“ Because our agents and sales staff represent us all over the world, each customer has a personal contact for our products – right there in their own country.”
“ We quickly find the right information to answer every inquiry and when we don’t know all the details ourselves here in customer service, we do know who we can turn to within the company for assistance. That’s how we support our customers – fast and efficiently.”
“ Our customers can test each additive because we send them free-of-charge samples within a few days.”
Is the new additive already available?
How long is the delivery lead time?
Would you please send us the product
specifications? Can we have the pro-
ducts sent express? What is the shelf
life of the additive? Information such
as this is important for smooth opera-
tion and order processing. The 16-per-
son support team is also ready to pro-
vide a few innovative services.
Most orders arrive in our customer
center in Wesel by fax or e-mail and
are processed without having to meet
special formal requirements. Those
orders come from all over the world,
originating either from the customers
themselves or from our agents and
distributors who operate their own
warehouses and supply our customers
from there.
Many questions every day
Our support team answers many ques-
tions every day. This involves prices
and delivery times, for example, or the
status of orders. Our customers also
often want to know details concerning
quality and environmental manage-
ment, packaging, technical specifica-
tions or other supply agreements.
Some want to register complaints
about goods received.
Sometimes when highly detailed in-
formation is required, the company’s
technical experts are consulted; but
with most questions, the team can
provide the right information immedi-
ately.
Attitude is everything. Our support team sees itself as a problem solver. Satisfied customers are our prime objective.
Good service – satisfied customers
Accepting and processing orders, providing information; our customer service team is the personal contact for very practical matters from all over the world. They handle everything, right down to the specific details.
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HOW ARE WE INNOVATIVE?
How long are the delivery times?
The fastest deliveries are possible within Germany. After
the products leave the plant, our customers in Germany
receive what they requested in two days or less. Within the
EU, delivery by truck takes four to ten days. Customers
outside of the EU can expect to receive the products within
five to ten days when delivered by truck. Ocean freight
shipments require four to six weeks.
Are express deliveries possible?
Of course! To any destination in the world, by plane or by
truck. The route and means of transport selected depend
on the specific details of order such as how large the order
is, does it involve material which must be classified as
dangerous goods, etc. We clarify the associated costs for
our customers on a case-by-case basis in cooperation with
our logistics department.
How large are the minimum order quantities?
Except for our sample shipments, we assume that our cus tom-
ers will order at least one can. Depending on the product,
this means 25 or 20 kilograms. Orders of one ton or more
are delivered directly to the customer’s site.
Can you send us the product specifications?
Our product data sheets can be downloaded from our
website. There we provide our customers with detailed
descriptions and information sheets about all of our additives
in the following languages: English, German, French, Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Chinese and Japanese.
Some of our safety data sheets have also been translated
into other languages.
Where can I obtain the customs numbers for BYK additives?
Our website provides our customers with lists of the
customs numbers and tariff numbers for all BYK products.
Are BYK products REACH-registered?
All raw materials used in the manufacturing of BYK pro-
ducts were registered with the responsible EU central office
before the deadline on November 30, 2011. In cases where
BYK uses materials as a Downstream User (DU), we have
ob tained confirmation from our suppliers that they have
also registered their raw materials. Further details are
available from the internet on our page about the REACH
program: www.byk.com/reach.
Are BYK additives food safe?
This differs from product to product and depends on wheth-
er the product can even come in contact with food at all.
In the BRIEF team (BRIEF = BYK Regulatory Information
Extensive Form), there is a specialist on food regulatory
issues who is ready to respond to inquiries in person and
can provide detailed information.
Can BYK additives be used in toys?
Not all of them are suitable. We recommend testing / exam-
ining them individually.
What is the shelf life of BYK additives?
This differs from product to product. Our Additive Guide,
which can also be accessed from our website, lists all prod-
ucts in detail. The information in the Additive Guide also
includes the shelf life of each of our additives.
Many questions – many answers. Delivery times, minimum order quantities, product descriptions: Our customers ask us lots of questions every day. We have put together some of the key facts in the following.
An excellent infrastructure, a dedicated workforce, and an outstanding knowledge of the markets – that is our recipe for success for attractive new products.
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i2 Innovation at BYKi2 Our Vision
Well-equipped for the future
Dedicated workforce and first-class facilities
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i2 Our Vision
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i2 Innovation at BYK
34
Along with qualified and motivated colleagues, it takes
state-of-the-art laboratories, infrastructure, and efficiently
designed processes to be well prepared for the future.
These prerequisites are necessary in order to be able to
quickly address the needs of our customers in the different
markets. They are also indispensable for the proactive
development of new technologies and the identification of
important trends.
That’s why our central research laboratories and technical
applications departments at our headquarters in Wesel,
Germany are supported by a multitude of service laborato-
ries, which act worldwide in close cooperation with the cus-
tomer and provide local application engineering support.
Customer focus: the application laboratories
Our philosophy of working closely with the customer is
clear from the way our company is organized. The different
application areas that use BYK additives are supported by
end-use departments, which in turn have the relevant
application engineering equipment. In those end-use labo-
ratories, we simulate the typical production processes and
applications of our customers.
We can use our ESTA unit, for example, to simulate coating
processes in the automotive industry. The advantage of this
approach is that the special aspects of a particular end
application can be realistically taken into account during
the development of the additives.
Other highlights of our application engineering technology
include an SMC unit for analyzing compounds and fiber
injection units for plastics, which we can use to reproduce
specific customer problems.
The paper coatings laboratory has recently been equipped
with a laboratory defoaming unit, laboratory-scale coating
systems, calendering facilities on sheets and rolls, and a lab
curtain coater.
More room for research
The fourth quarter of 2011 will mark a major milestone:
The new laboratory and research building will finally go
into operation at BYK headquarters in Wesel, Germany.
This will expand the capacities that already exist. Of the
nearly 5,600 square meters of new floor space, about half
of the three-story building will be used primarily by our
Research & Development organization. Biotechnology and
Analytics will also be based there in the future. The remain-
ing space will be used by the Plastics and Industrial Appli-
cations business units.
For the development of new plastics additives, BYK will
expand its pilot laboratory in the new building. The pilot
laboratory includes an injection molding unit, a press for
With the help of our excellent facilities we are able to simulate specific customer problems in our end-use labs.
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i2 Our Vision
37
i2 Innovation at BYK
SMC materials, and a modular PVC plant with extruders
and calenders.
In the planning of the new building and its functional inte-
gration with the existing laboratories, we made sure that
the architecture provides easy access between areas within
the building and to the other buildings. Specifically designed
open areas that we call Creative Zones will encourage em-
ployees to exchange opinions and ideas. Many years of
experience have taught us that nothing is more important
for innovation than openness and effective communica-
tion.
International service laboratories
BYK is more than a supplier of products. We see ourselves
as a manufacturer that delivers solutions to address the
specific needs of customers. That’s why we not only ensure
the continuous expansion of our product portfolio, but also
help our customers resolve their individual problems. Our
service laboratories in Brazil, Germany, China, India, Japan,
Korea, the Netherlands, and the USA play a lead role by
providing timely on-site technical service in the local lan -
guage.
These regional laboratories keep us close to our customers
in every sense of the word. Our highly qualified employees
are familiar with the applicable statutory requirements
along with the current conditions and future trends in the
regional markets. Regular training courses on new technical
developments keep BYK employees all over the world
up to date. Moreover, international exchange within the
corporate group serves to maintain a knowledge network
on the leading edge.
Structured creativity
New product development is unthinkable without new ideas
and a great deal of creativity. At BYK, all of our col leagues
are encouraged to submit their ideas and suggestions for the
development of new products. Not all ideas can be imple-
mented immediately, of course.
So, along with factors such as technical feasibility of the
idea, suggestions also have to be evaluated for their
market potential and profitability.
That’s why it is important for us to evaluate new ideas
within the framework of a transparent, structured process,
so we can then specifically promote the development of
the most promising ideas. We established our Product
Development Process for this purpose.
Representatives of all departments concerned participate
in the evaluation of the individual ideas. This includes
Management, End-use, Research & Development, Product
Group and Innovation Management, and Marketing & Sales.
All projects which are pursued further undergo a de fined
process which culminates in the successful market launch.
We are close to our customers everywhere with our service labs.
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i2 Our Vision
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i2 Innovation at BYK
End customers are becoming more and more demanding
and the requirements that specialty chemicals must satisfy
are also changing accordingly. With growing environmental
consciousness in the early 1990s, water-soluble systems
emerged as an important trend in additive chemistry. To-
day, those waterborne products have to feature additional
properties as well. Now coatings may contain hardly any
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), yet they must maintain
the same good dispersing qualities as their predecessors.
With DISPERBYK®-2012 we have developed a product that
meets all of these requirements. It represents a consistent
further development of our additive family for aqueous
systems that began with DISPERBYK®-184 for resin-con-
taining grinds. That was followed by the development of
DISPERBYK®-190, which has become the standard for resin-
free grinds.
The new polymer is based on an innovative comb structure
produced by means of CPT (Controlled Polymerization
Technology). Its unique feature is its suitability for both
commonly used types of dispersions – pigment dispersions
with resin and also slurry grind, dispersion without resin.
“BYK Advance” innovation award
There were also other reasons why we recognized
DISPERBYK®-2012 with our “BYK Advance” innovation
award this year. Along with the technical innovations, our
employees did outstanding work from an organizational
standpoint. The business potential of the additive is highly
promising. Its development was ultimately made possible
through exemplary cooperation among multiple teams:
Research, Product Group Management and End-use.
Our new dispersing additive actually resulted from two
different projects. The first was dedicated to the develop-
ment of a new wetting and dispersing additive for resin-
free grinds in the presence of surfactants, amines and
possible solvents, and for resin-containing grinds in
different aqueous binders. The second was aimed at the
systematic screening of existing and new wetting and
dispersing additives for water-soluble applications.
Tests at customer facilities produced good results
The two projects were launched under the direction of
Mark Heekeren and Dr. Stefan Mössmer, respectively, in
2007 and 2008. Just one year later, initial development
results were already available. They were then tested in
our customers‘ system and found to be effective. Following
further optimization and customer tests, we had a product
with proven positive application properties by 2009. Then
in 2010 we were able to launch the product under the
name DISPERBYK®-2012.
The new product is the additive of choice for water-soluble
resin binders and emulsions with organic or inorganic pig-
ments. It is particularly well suited for automotive and in-
dustrial coatings, and is also used in architectural coatings
and printing inks. It is extremely effective for raising the
transparency and color brilliance of coatings. This is espe-
cially true for metallic coatings. With black coatings, high
jetness values – i. e., deep black colors with a bluish under-
tone – can be achieved.
Superior performance in head-to-head comparison
Direct comparisons of grinds formulated with water-soluble
resins with conventional additives confirm the superiority
of DISPERBYK®-2012. DISPERBYK®-2012 unifies variations
of different pigment-affinic groups and interacts particu-
larly well with organic pigments. The hydrophobic core
structure is supplemented by hydrophilic side chains which
contain polar-modified resin-compatible groups and permit
an outstanding level of steric stabilization.
In resin-free grinds, DISPERBYK®-2012 permits the presence
of amines, rheology additives, co-solvents and surfactants
without negative effects on the end result.
Brilliant and universally applicable DISPERBYK®-2012 is suitable for all standard dispersion systems.
Innovation award
“BYK Advance”
i2 Our Vision
41
Anyone who goes to the kitchen and tries to mix vinegar
and oil for a salad dressing will find that even after
thorough stirring the two liquids do not “get along well
together” and soon part company again. This phenomenon
is known as phase separation. Nonetheless, we are all
familiar with stable mixtures of incompatible liquids in
everyday life: Mayonnaise, for example, consists of finely
distributed droplets of oil in water, a so-called emulsion.
How is this possible?
When you stir two incompatible liquids together, the energy
applied by the stirring action first forms small, finely distrib-
uted droplets of the one liquid in the other. But the fine
droplets quickly flow together, merging into ever larger
ones, which then separate out from the other liquid again.
For our example, this means they become vinegar and oil
again.
In order to stabilize a mixture of two incompatible liquids
together for a longer period of time, we use emulsifiers
which accumulate at the interfaces between the two
liquids and stabilize the droplets by preventing the much
smaller droplets from merging into larger ones. Egg yoke,
which contains components that serve as emulsifiers, is
used in this way to produce mayonnaise.
A technical challenge
The phase separation problems described here occur not
only in the kitchen, but also in a very similar form in indus-
trial applications. One important technical question is how
to stabilize so-called polyol blends against separation.
Large molecules with multiple alcohol groups, polyols are
hardened into polyurethanes with a second component
(isocyanate). In order to give these polyurethane materials
the desired property profile (e.g. as material for sealants,
elastic materials, glues or foams), the polyols must be mixed
with other components such as chain extenders or crosslink-
ers. In many cases, these chain extenders are incompatible
with the polyols and separate just like vinegar and oil. As a
result, the use and handling of these raw materials are sub-
ject to limitations and accordingly require additional effort
and expense. The incompatible components always have to
be mixed together right before use in the production facil-
ity of the processing operation or at the construction site.
This is not only complicated, but it also creates a situation
for a possible source of error. It would make better sense if
the components could be blended into a product which
would remain stable during storage. Unfortunately, no
suitable emulsifiers were available.
The solution: BYK®-P 9908 and BYK®-P 9909
Thanks to the new process additives BYK®-P 9908 and
BYK®-P 9909, this problem has now been solved. These two
products are based on an innovative concept that uses the
possibilities of our Controlled Polymerization Technology
(CPT) to create a new class of emulsifiers. These new
emulsifiers combine two amphiphilic polymeric active
ingredients – i.e., large molecules with polar and non-polar
segments. The two components form a perfect match. One
of the components has a positive electrical charge and the
other has a negative electrical charge. So we refer to this
type of emulsifier as a “Twin Amphiphilic Polymeric Emulsi-
fier” – or “T.A.P.E.” for short.
Innovative polymer emulsifiers on the basis of T.A.P.E. technology
BYK®-P 9908 and BYK®-P 9909
Authors: Dr. René Nagelsdiek, Dr. Ralf Hoffmann, Christian Biecker
The one active ingredient exhibits better compatibility with
the polyol, while the other tends to be more soluble in the
chain extender. With the incorporation of the additive into
the polyol/chain extender mixture, the components of our
emulsifier tend to “migrate” towards the corresponding
liquid. Within this phase, they are mobile so they also reach
the interface of the two liquids. This is where the interac-
tion between the two components of our additives comes
into play: Their opposite electrical charge “incites” the at-
traction of the components to one another. This electro-
static force of attraction causes the two components to join
closely to each other at the interface between polyol and
chain extender. In this fixed condition, the complementary
arrangement of the charged polymers in turn stabilizes the
interface between polyol and chain extender and effec-
tively prevents their separation.
No innovation without customer benefits
BYK®-P 9908 and BYK®-P 9909 offer important benefits for
the industry. Until recently, mixtures of polyols and chain
extenders had to be produced just prior to use; so together
with the isocyanate components, three components had to
be mixed. BYK’s new answer to this problem means only
two components have to be mixed prior to use instead of
three: the stabilized polyol/chain extender mixture and the
isocyanate component. This eliminates the need to prepare
the polyol/chain extender mixture, thereby also eliminating
a possible source of error and saving valuable time. The
customer benefits immediately from easier handling and
from the time savings. Additionally, it also reduces the risk
of complaints.
Such polyol mixtures have a wide range of applications.
Matched systems of this type are used on construction sites
and oil platforms, for example, and also in automotive
headliners. Up until now, the customer first had to prepare
the mixture of polyol and chain extender at the construction
site, and then the hardener – the isocyanate component – had
to be added afterwards. With BYK®-P 9908 and BYK-P® 9909
that first step is no longer necessary so the customer can
process the systems much faster.
The T.A.P.E. emulsifiers act on the interface between polyol and chain extender. The liquid droplets of the chain extender are stabilized in the polyol. As a result, the polyol blend remains stable and can be stored; fewer steps are required during use and costs can be saved.
Polyol
Chainextender
High interfacial activity leads to improved emulsion
stability
Amphiphilic block copolymer prepared by CPT methods
Amphiphilic polymers
Hydrophilic phase(chain extender)
Hydrophobic phase(polyol)
Interfacial area
Arrangement of amphiphilic polymers at the interface
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i2 Innovation at BYKi2 Our Vision
42
Successful concept now for aqueous systems
ANTI-TERRA®-250 stabilizes fillers and pigments.
The trend towards environmentally friendly aqueous coating
systems already extends to coating systems that use tradi-
tional solvent-borne technologies such as epoxy coatings.
In order to formulate such coating systems, inorganic
pigments and fillers are used. Due to their specific weights,
they are susceptible to phase separation and precipitation.
Although the deflocculating dispersion additives normally
used in aqueous systems provide perfect pigment stabiliza-
tion, they tend to increase the predisposition to settling.
In order to achieve pigment settling in solvent-borne
systems with pigment stabilization at the same time,
controlled flocculating wetting and dispersing additives
such as ANTI-TERRA®-203 and ANTI-TERRA®-204 were
developed a few years ago. Along with excellent pigment
stabilization, these additives also provide another benefit:
They prevent heavy pigments from settling.
The additives form a three-dimensional network via hydro-
gen bonds, thereby preventing inorganic pigments and
fillers from settling.
In order to meet this challenge for aqueous systems too, BYK
has now taken the successful concept of ANTI-TERRA®-203
and ANTI-TERRA®-204 and developed a successor for aque-
ous systems: ANTI-TERRA®-250.
ANTI-TERRA®-250 is ideally suited for the stabilization of
fillers and inorganic pigments, thereby ensuring excellent
color acceptance and low ΔE values in the coating system. It
prevents these pigments from flooding / floating and the
established thixotropy prevents sagging and settling in
aqueous systems. The additive also has a high solids
content and is solvent-free.
The wetting and dispersing additive is used in a variety of
products, including water-dilutable primers, architectural
coatings and floor coatings. ANTI-TERRA®-250 enhances
leveling properties, especially in aqueous self-leveling floor
coatings based on epoxy resin.
Dispersing agents for organic pigments and carbon blacks
The newest member of the DISPERBYK®-190 family is an ideal addition: DISPERBYK®-198.
Differences in chemical properties or in the surface treat-
ment of pigments are the reason ink manufacturers need
wetting and dispersing additives specifically tailored to
individual requirements.
In 1990, BYK introduced a wetting and dispersing additive
for aqueous pigment concentrates that was effective with
many of the organic and inorganic pigments commonly
used in the ink industry. Thus the introduction of DISPER-
BYK®-190, established a benchmark for the industry.
Although DISPERBYK®-190 is universally applicable, it ex-
hibited minor deficiencies in the wetting and dispersing of
a few pigments. In order to cover the most frequently used
organic pigments and carbon blacks, BYK has now developed
the ideal complement to DISPERBYK®-190: DISPERBYK®-198.
This new high-performance wetting and dispersing additive
from BYK provides a number of key benefits. For example,
DISPERBYK®-198 is effective with organic pigments and
carbon blacks for which DISPERBYK®-190 performs at below
optimum levels. Together, the two additives cover the full
spectrum of most commonly used organic pigments and
carbon blacks.
The new product is easy to use and requires only a few
simple tests in order to obtain desired results. The use of
DISPERBYK®-198 makes it possible to achieve outstanding
color intensity, high gloss, and high transparency with low
pigment loading.
The viscosity of the pigment concentrates is low so high
shear forces are not required and the pigment concentrates
can be easily processed. This equates to time and energy
savings. The excellent storage stability of the pigment con-
centrates and inks in which DISPERBYK®-198 is used elimi-
nates the need for additional stirring. This in turn means
fewer customer complaints.
Also in aqueous coatings
Like inks, coating technology has also achieved significant
advancements over the past 20 years. As with wetting and
dispersing additives, the demands on the quality of raw
materials have increased. The chemical properties and sur-
face treatment of pigments along with advanced binder
technology enable a broad range of high-quality systems
which require the use of corresponding additives. The new
DISPERBYK®-198 is able to stabilize pigments where
standard solutions fail. It provides outstanding results with
carbon blacks and organic pigments such as yellow and
(red-)violet hues.
Authors:Dörte Claußen-Dietsch, Stefan Gollnick
Authors: Dörte Claußen-Dietsch, Stefan Gollnick
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i2 Innovation at BYKi2 Our Vision
ANTI-TERRA®-250 is suited for primers, architectural coatings and floor coatings.
44
BYKJET® additives for brilliant advertising
Our new products for inkjet printing are compatible with standard systems.
Inkjet is currently considered one of the most innovative
printing methods. Industry experts believe it has tremen-
dous future potential because it makes it possible to print
an extremely wide range of advertising materials. Based on
expertise gained over the course of our many years of
experience with wetting and dispersing additives, we have
created and refined a series of additives which offer
optimum solutions for meeting the special requirements of
the growing inkjet market.
Inkjet prints can be found in an extremely wide range of
applications – and with ever increasing frequency. These
include large-format print jobs such as display materials,
advertising posters, or customized mailings. Inkjet technol-
ogy is also a popular choice for oversized formats such as
billboards or printing on truck tarpaulins. Inkjet processes
are even suitable for printing on rigid materials such as
large-format signs or furniture surfaces.
Enhanced color strength
Wetting and dispersing additives for inkjet inks have to
satisfy a broad range of requirements. They are primarily
used to improve the optical characteristics of the inks rela-
tive to color strength, transparency, and gloss. They also
have to significantly reduce the viscosity of both the
pigment concentrates and the finished inks. At the same
time, they achieve long-term storage stability without
viscosity shift.
Other requirements specifically for wetting and dispersing
additives in inkjet applications: They have to prevent the
so-called “bronzing” phenomenon and suppress “cogation”
during the thermal printing process. They should also
enhance the brightness, sharpness and scratch resistance of
the printed products.
Compatible with all standard systems
Ultimately, the additives should also enhance the processa-
bility of the inks. They should not cause any significant
change in the surface tension. Taking those factors into
consideration, they should be compatible with the greatest
possible number of inkjet systems on the market.
In inkjet printing, extremely small droplets of ink are
applied to the substrate. As a general rule, these systems
work in the CMYK color space; cyan, magenta, yellow and
key correspond to the colors blue, red, yellow and black,
respectively. Additives used here have to create a fine dis-
tribution of these tiny particles. In this way they optimize
so-called “jetability”. At the same time, this also means
that the inks can be used to produce stable results in indus-
trial inkjet systems without any problem.
Wetting and dispersing additives from BYK were already
suitable for inkjet applications in the past, but they did not
sufficiently address all of the demands mentioned above.
That’s why we developed a new product line specifically for
inkjet applications. Our new BYKJET® additives are tailored
for typical inkjet pigments, for different inkjet systems, and
for the specific requirements of inkjet printing relative
to optical properties, processability, application and other
parameters.
Additives for different applications
As a result of our development work we are now able to
offer appropriate additives in all three product groups,
both for solvent- and waterborne applications and for UV
curable applications.
Our products BYKJET®-9130, BYKJET®-9131, BYKJET®-9132
and BYKJET®-9133 are the perfect answer to the special
requirements of solvent-borne inkjet inks. The outstanding
deflocculation and stabilization of the CMYK pigments
ensures excellent color strength and gloss with low haze
and high transparency.
For UV curable inkjet inks, our product BYKJET®-9150 exhibits
superior properties. And finally, BYKJET®-9170 meets all of
the requirements of waterborne applications.
With the development of these products we have managed
to provide perfectly tailored wetting and dispersing agents
for the increasingly important market of inkjet applica-
tions. They satisfy all of the required demands: outstanding
stabilization of the CMYK pigments and therefore excel-
lent optical properties, effective reduction of the viscosity,
extended shelf life, compatibility with a wide range of
commonly used inkjet systems, and excellent filterability
due to the extremely fine distribution of tiny particles.
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i2 Our Vision
47
i2 Innovation at BYK
Which products does BYK offer for
the adhesives and sealants area?
The most important products for the
adhesives and sealants area are un-
doubtedly rheology additives, products
for wetting and dispersing, defoam-
ers, and waxes.
BYK has extensive experience with
these product groups; they have alread y
been established for many years in an
extremely wide range of markets. Now
we are taking the expertise that we
have gained from that experience and
are systematically transferring it to the
adhesives and sealants area.
Does this mean that BYK is also
offering existing products for this area?
Yes, we are of course also offering
products from our existing product
assortment. Even if these products
have not been developed primarily for
the adhesives area, it has nonetheless
enabled us to draw from a large port-
folio of suitable additives.
Our challenge is to establish these ad-
ditives in a new market. The effects
that can be generated by means of a
special additive may be nothing new
for us or for experienced players in the
coatings and plastics market, but I
have often found that precisely these
effects are still unknown in the adhe-
sives area.
Problems in the adhesives area are
often very similar to problems encoun-
tered in the coatings or plastics indus-
try: “How do I defoam an aqueous
dispersion without any negative im-
pact on substrate wetting?” or “Which
additives help prevent sedimentation
of filler materials?” are frequently
asked questions. Here BYK can turn to
a large number of existing products.
The exciting and innovative part is
then to test what happens with the
Special commitment For two years, BYK has been offering a specific product line for the adhesives and sealants market. Since that time, the company has been building up its resources specifically for this market, which is still relatively new. Jan Lenz, who has been responsible for this area for nearly two years, outlines what this special commitment of BYK means for this market.
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i2 Innovation at BYK
What major benefits do BYK additives offer for the
industries and applications you have mentioned?
As I already indicated, additives – their use and the effects
that can be achieved with them – remain a largely unknown
territory for the sealants and adhesives industry. In this
respect, one major benefit for the manufacturers certainly
lies in the new opportunities and design latitudes which
these products create.
Another major benefit that I see lies in the philosophy of
working closely with the customer, which is common prac-
tice of BYK. As in the case of other areas, BYK sees itself as
a solutions provider. Thanks to resources made available in
the form of the company’s own fully staffed laboratory dedi-
cated to the adhesives and sealants industry, we are not
only in a position to provide comprehensive support to
help customers solve their problems, but we can even redu-
ce their workload. Customers only need to describe their
problems to us and supply us with their raw materials, and
then we prepare perfectly tailored, functional additive so-
lutions for them.
Which products do you consider to be the special high-
lights of your product portfolio?
The first one that comes to mind is BYK®-014. This is a poly-
mer defoamer that contains no mineral oil or silicone. It
offers broad and especially effective action in aqueous ad-
hesive systems. Moreover, the additive features very good
compatibility without causing substrate defects.
Another product that I would like to mention is BYK®-W 969.
It is a wetting and dispersing additive for an extremely wide
range of types of mineral fillers in polyurethane systems. It
reduces the viscosity of filled systems considerably and
enables either lower viscosity, which facilitates processing
and application, or permits higher filler loading without
having to deal with any additional viscosity increase. This is
a significant cost advantage for our customers.
Our HORDAMER® product line of primary polyethylene dis-
persions provides especially good anti-blocking properties
of hot melt granules. At the same time, they can also be
used to improve the adhesion of aqueous adhesives for
certain plastic films.
Can you give us a brief outline of the dominant trends
expected over the next two years in the adhesives and
sealants area?
In the next two years, the focus here will clearly lie with the
development of further low-emission and FDA-compliant
additives. On the one hand, we will continue to pursue the
further development of existing additives for the sealants
and adhesives market. On the other hand, we will also be
applying our expertise and all of our energy towards the
development of new additives for new systems – additives
for silicone systems, for example, or adhesion promoters.
We are also considering nanotechnology for our applica-
tions.
So as you can see, I’m very confident that we will be
offering our customers a whole series of very interesting
solutions – possibly even in the very near future.
Our additives for the Adhesives & Sealants sector open up new scope for development for the ad-hesives industry.
adhesive when I use an additive that was developed for a
completely different application area.
In some cases this opens up broad design freedoms with
completely new opportunities for the use and formulation
of products in the adhesives industry.
What kind of new opportunities do you mean?
I’m thinking of the wetting and dispersing of fillers, for ex-
ample. The use of wetting and dispersing additives can of-
ten reduce the high viscosity of filled systems. This gives
adhesives manufacturers two opportunities: Either they low-
er the viscosity, thereby improving processability, or they
can incorporate more filler material at the same viscosity,
which enables them to achieve a significant cost advan-
tage.
Which industries make the most use of BYK additives?
One large segment is industrial adhesives as well as design
and construction applications. But our products are also
widely used in the packaging industry – where paper
bonding is involved, for example, or the lamination of
paper with plastic film.
As you can imagine, regulatory aspects relative to food
contact play a significant role in the packaging area. FDA
conformity is extremely important! BYK is very well posi-
tioned here and takes this topic very seriously. Even maxi-
mum permissible dosing quantities comply with the re-
quire ments for FDA conformity. Moreover, all information
relative to FDA topics and our products is freely accessible
on the internet. In this area, nevertheless, it always depends
on the specific system.
The exciting and innovative part is then to test what happens with the adhesive when I use an additive that was developed for a completely different application area.
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i2 Our Vision
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i2 Innovation at BYK
The portable “cloud-runner” is a great help in production control.
Special effect finishes have become tremendously popular.
Nowadays most automotive applications involve metallic
and special effects. The particles that create these effects –
usually more or less platelet-shaped flakes – exhibit ex-
tremely sensitive behavior. That’s why the interaction of
numerous factors must be carefully harmonized; from the
coating development to the processing in the coating line.
And yet, critical influences can also occur which lead to det-
rimental coating defects or an uneven appearance.
One particularly conspicuous problem with light colored
metallic hues is often referred to as “cloudiness” or “mot-
tling” and takes the form of irregular spots of varying
lightness approximately 5 to 20 cm in size. They can result
from both the coating formulation and from variations in
the application process. Typical causes include a disorienta-
tion of the metallic flakes or variations in the thickness of
the base coat.
Such clouds are especially noticeable on large body panels.
For this reason, the surface should be tested over a large
sample area. Up until now, cloudiness has generally been
evaluated visually; however, the results are inevitably influ-
enced to varying degrees by the evaluator and the lighting
conditions.
Alternatively, so-called “spectrophotometers” are also used
in order to measure the sample area in a surface raster. But
this requires hundreds of measurements and involves an
enormous amount of time and effort, and for this reason it
is only carried out in the laboratory.
The quality control and optimization of production requires
objective measurement data that can be recorded rapidly
and used to define tolerances. For this purpose, BYK-Gardner
developed a portable handheld device to test large areas
quickly. The “cloud-runner“ measures the surface over a
defined path under different detection angles simulta-
neously because the visibility of clouds also depends on the
viewing direction.
The measurement signal is filtered according to cloud size
and a “mottling index” is calculated. The higher the meas-
ured value, the more obvious is the mottling effect. As a
result, differences can be easily distinguished and target
values can be specified for batch approval and process
control.
Thanks to its innovative scroll wheel, the “cloud-runner“ is very easy to operate. Its large screen provides enough space to display all statistical data. The measurement series stored in the system can be transferred to a PC via the docking station where they can be analyzed and graphi-cally documented with the new “smart chart” software.
With both feet firmly planted in the clouds …
Objective instrument “cloud-runner” replaces
visual inspection. Author: Friedhelm Fensterseifer
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i2 Our Vision
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i2 Innovation at BYK
The ideal method consists of establishing a chemical bond between the components – and the way to do that is with our BYK®-C 8000 coupling agent.
Polymer concrete has to withstand many types of stress. That’s why it needs to have outstanding mechanical properties. It should provide impact strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength. But what is the best way to guarantee these properties?
Coupling agent success story
BYK®-C 8000 creates chemical bond in polymer concrete.
Unlike regular concrete with cement as a binder, polymer
concrete is produced from quartz sand in different grain
sizes and a polymer. Its advantages are based on its good
chemical resistance and ease of handling. It adheres well to
all substrates and cures fast. Moreover, these properties can
be adjusted individually.
The polymer concrete typically contains polyesters or epoxy
resins. The ratio of resins and fillers depends on various fac-
tors. The viscosity of the resin plays just as much of a role as
the mixture of the quartz sand grain sizes and the size of
the coarsest particles. Last but not least, the quality of the
additives also plays a role. They determine whether and
how the resins and fillers bond.
In 2007, when BYK launched the coupling agent BYK®-C 8000
on the market, it represented an innovation. Up until that
time, there were no polymer additives that were able to
create a true bond between the resin and the quartz sand.
All of the coupling agents previously available on the market
consisted of silane monomers.
A polymer additive in its own right, our BYK®-C 8000 cou-
pling agent is the first product that creates a strong chemical
bond between the quartz sand and the resin in the polymer
concrete. It strengthens the interfaces between the two
materials. This directly affects the mechanical properties of
the concrete, improving them by 50% – and our extensive test
series have provided the documentary proof. BYK®-C 8000
can be used to produce a polymer concrete with a compres-
sive strength of up to 130 N/mm2, for example. The flexural
strength can reach as high as 55 N/mm2. One important pre-
requisite: The filler must not contain too much moisture.
BYK®-C 8000 opens up interesting new opportunities for
manufacturers. It improves the absolute quality of the
polymer concrete, thereby meeting the quality standards
to an outstanding degree. Our coupling agent supports
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i2 Innovation at BYK
WHy ARE WE INNOVATIVE?
The future begins now. We identify key technologies early on and use them with the specific aim of opening up new markets.
manufacturers of pipes, drainage systems, and sewer
manholes and is also used by companies that produce feed
hoppers or machinery foundations. The prerequisite is
that they have to produce the concrete from unsaturated
polyester with a quartz sand filler.
The benefits in detail
BYK®-C 8000 also provides our customers with many other
benefits. Thanks to the chemical bond which the coupling
agent creates between resins and fillers, the wall thicknesses
of the pipes or tanks can be thinner – with the same me-
chan ical properties.
Since less material is required, production costs are lower.
Lastly, BYK®-C 8000 is also very easy to use during processing.
It is added as a liquid shortly before adding the hardener.
Kitchen sinks are more scratch-resistant
The success story of our coupling agent continues because
now other sectors are also discovering the benefits of our
additive.
The reason: Thanks to our additive, companies can dispense
with pre-treated quartz sand and use untreated sand
instead. This reduces production costs while increasing
convenience for the end users at the same time because the
sinks made with BYK®-C 8000 are more scratch-resistant
and more waterproof. Since our additive also enhances the
flexural strength of the material, the sinks are less likely to
be damaged during transport.
BYK®-C 8000 improves the absolute quality of polymer concrete, thereby achieving excellent compliance with quality standards.
The new coupling agent BYK®-C 8002
enhances mechanical properties such
as flexural strength. The active
groups of this additive bond with the
surface of the aluminum trihydroxide
(ATH) and use a double bond to form
a bridge to the resin. Depending on
the system, it increases flexural
strength by up to 30%. The structure
of the additive also prevents fillers
from settling or separating out in the
liquid mixture. Despite the strong po-
lar groups, there are no negative ef-
fects such as water absorption or the
yellowing of pigmented components.
The customer benefits are clear:
• Increases mechanical strength by up
to 30%
• Prevents fillers from settling
• Makes processing easy: Just add the
additive before curing!
ByK®-c 8002 enhances mechanical properties in ATH-filled acrylate systems
Tools for new surfaces
Industrial biotechnology is opening up new possibilities for innovations.
i2 Innovation at BYKi2 Our Vision
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i2 Innovation at BYK
Biotechnology and additive
chemistry – how do they go
together?
Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary
science which involves the use of
enzymes, cells, and complete organ-
isms in technical applications. It can
be used, for example, to develop
products from renewable raw mate-
rials. It is also conceivable that addi-
tives could be produced in this way.
What other application fields might
also be possible?
Generally speaking, I see two other
broad application areas: In the first,
biosynthetic products can replace
conventional raw materials, and in
the second, biotechnological proces-
ses can replace traditional synthesis
processes. On a case-by-case basis,
we have to examine very carefully
the advantages associated with the
use of a new raw material or process
and determine exactly how much
they are actually worth. This is an
important component of our inno-
vation management process.
Many often claim that products
manufactured on a biotechnological
basis are not as effective as products
made using traditional processes or
raw materials. Is this true?
There is absolutely no analytical
evidence to support such claims. The
performance of biotechnological
products is comparable to conven-
tional products in every respect. In
other words, they are extremely
effective while also satisfying the
ecological requirements for which
market demand is continuously
increasing.
Where do you get the ideas for
your proposals?
I get many ideas from the specialized
trade literature, which represents a
very rich source. Constructive discus-
sions with colleagues are also par-
ticularly valuable. I have already been
able to collect a lot of interest ing
suggestions. The different perspecti-
ves of the various specialty areas
gathered under the umbrella of BYK
and within the ALTANA Group are
very fertile soil for such a creative
and constructive exchange. This strikes
me as an excellent basis for blazing
new trails in product development
together.
Dr. Birthe Borup is responsible for the new biotechnology platform at BYK. In this short interview, she describes the possibilities that the new technology holds in store.
Biotechnological techniques will enable us to conserve resources while carrying out processes.
Products based on biotechnology have many advantages. Their performance is comparable on all counts with that of traditional solutions.
BYK is playing a central role within ALTANA AG in establishing the new biotechnology platform.
Making intelligent use of nature’s
marvels has always been the goal of
man. Industrial biotechnology offers
an ideal toolbox for doing so because
it enables the use of new raw materi-
als and new processes.
Biotechnology offers us universal ap-
plication possibilities. Specifically, we
are using it to pursue two objectives.
Initially we will use it to satisfy existing
customer needs more efficiently. This
might be possible where products
based on biotechnology help reduce
costs, and that applies to all industries
and markets in which we operate.
Next, we see an opportunity for us to
develop new markets with products
that have been developed with the
aid of biotechnology.
Within ALTANA AG, BYK is playing a
key role in establishing the new tech-
nology platform. In the corporation,
each cross-sector technology platform
is anchored in the business unit which
profits from that technology directly
and to the greatest extent. We make
our knowledge and expertise available
to the other divisions of the corporation.
We see several opportunities in the
specific application of industrial bio-
technology. Biotechnological tech-
niques will enable us to conserve re-
sources while carrying out processes.
We can create new sources of raw ma-
terials which will make it possible to
replace conventional raw materials by
biosynthetic products. And, we want
to use biotechnological processes to
create new surface functions. This will
most likely be our biggest challenge.
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i2 Innovation at BYK
Is nanotechnology a cross-industry technology?
It most certainly is. It is being applied in many different in-
dustries because it permits them to define and formulate
product properties in a precise and specifically targeted
way. The underlying reason for this is the basic principle of
nanotechnology: When we reduce the size of a particle of
material to nano scale – that means less than 100 nanome-
ters – then the properties of that material often change.
We now know that nanomaterials can also be produced
from nearly all materials and that is opening up new, previ-
ously unimagined opportunities.
How is BYK taking advantage of these opportunities?
BYK has been involved in nanotechnology for about ten
years and has already commercialized several successful
additives – the NANOBYK® series for several coatings and
plastics. We are working with particles made from alumi-
num oxide, silicon dioxide, zinc oxide and cerium dioxide.
Our additives increase the scratch resistance of coatings
and improve their UV protection. Both of these functions
are important these days because they extend product life.
Raw materials can be used to generate greater profit as
a result. So from an overall perspective, our NANOBYK®
additives make a significant contribution to the sustaina-
bility of products and that applies to all industries where
these additives are used.
Are scratch resistance and UV protection the only
properties that BYK is working on?
The third topic that we are involved with is conductivity.
There is a whole range of applications for materials which
are thermally and electrically conductive. I’m thinking of
conductive coatings and components made of plastic, for
example, and anti-static packaging for PC accessories,
Tiny tubes, intelligently connected
Nanotechnology is considered to be a key technology. With our innovative CNT dispersions, we offer functional additives for conductive coatings and inks. In an interview, Dr. Michael Berkei, Manager Nanotechnology, explains the advantages of our nano additives.
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i2 Innovation at BYK
What are the characteristics of these dispersions?
In designing our dispersions, we pursued two main objec-
tives: Our first goal was to offer our customers extremely
highly concentrated CNT dispersions. And our second goal
was to provide them with versatile products that can be
used in different applications. We have achieved both of
these objectives. Our aqueous CNT additives have concen-
trations of up to 10%. That‘s an absolutely outstanding
value. It guarantees that our additive can be blended with
an extremely wide range of final formulations – even in
paints that require a CNT content of 5%, for example.
Are these new dispersions already available?
We are currently providing samples in individual projects
with customers. In the fourth quarter of 2011, our new CNT
dispersions are expected to be commercially available
worldwide.
So far the nano additives from BYK are primarily intended
for use in paints. Are there also other application fields?
Paints are not the only application. Our expertise is also
applicable for plastics. Our NANOBYK®-3845 additive, for
example, improves UV protection of packaging materials
made of polyolefins. It offers long-lasting UV protection,
especially for the packaged product. We are currently
looking into other application areas that we consider
promising. In particular, we are concentrating on thermoset
resins and thermoplastics. These materials also need to
have good mechanical properties and excellent scratch
resistance. UV protection plays an important role here as
well: The greater the UV resistance that a plastic provides,
the longer its service life.
The safety of nanotechnology continues to be a topic of
discussion. What is BYK’s position?
Safety and responsible action are top priorities at BYK. We
are careful to eliminate risks in all stages of the manufactur-
ing process. That starts with the selection of materials and
continues well beyond the safety precautions taken during
processing. With all of our NANOBYK® additives already on
the market, the nanoparticles which are imbedded in them
are locked in a matrix. This means that it is nearly impossible
to inhale these particles. Under normal processing conditions
the risk of inhalation is completely excluded.
But is there no risk, for example, that tiny particles will be
released from the surface of a product during continuous
use?
According to what we know today, there is no possibility
whatsoever of this happening. A lifecycle study in cooperation
with the German paint industry recently confirmed this
find ing. In wear tests, it proved conclusively that a paint
with nanoparticles demonstrates the same dust properties
as a paint without nanoparticles. The studies show that the
tiny particles are securely anchored in the paint matrix.
Apart from this, we are careful to select substances which
are non-toxic. This not only applies to the substances them-
selves, but also to the shape of the particles. For example,
we use only spherical, amorphous silicon dioxide nanopar-
ticles. According to what we know today, they present no
risk. In the processing of the powdered starting materials,
we follow the applicable safety regulations and always
work under extraction with the corresponding filtration
systems. In addition, our employees are regularly trained
and we also inform our customers about any handling
instructions relative to nanoparticles.
“ Safety and responsible action are top priorities at BYK.”
anti-static floor coverings, printed electronics, and trans-
parent coatings for glass panes which can be used for
heating and de-icing. In these applications, the selection of
the material is the key.
How so?
We’re talking about global mass markets here, so expensive
conductive noble metals such as silver or gold are often out
of the question. We need inexpensive raw materials – and
ones which, as a matter of principle, will continue to be
available in sufficient quantities decades from now. And, at
the same time, these substances also have to be easy to
process in the relevant applications and exhibit optimal dis-
tribution in the component or coating. The particles have
to be able to touch one another in order to provide the
conductivity. Tiny carbon tubes, so-called carbon nanotubes
(CNTs) have these properties.
There are single-walled and multi-walled CNTs. Which
ones does BYK work with?
First a brief explanation: The carbon nanotubes consist of
ultra-thin carbon layers, similar to the ones found in graph-
ite. The individual carbon layers in graphite are called
graphene layers and have a structure that resembles a
honeycomb. You can think of carbon nanotubes as structures
made of rolled up graphene layers. If you roll only one layer
of graphene up, then single-walled CNTs are formed. If you
roll multiple layers concentrically into a tube, then multi-
walled CNTs are formed. This description is only for illustration
purposes, of course, the actual production of the CNTs
involves extremely complicated processes.
Although single-walled CNTs have better properties, they
are difficult to synthesize and that makes them quite ex-
pensive. As a general rule, they are mainly used in research
or in very demanding electronics applications. BYK uses
multi-walled CNTs. At about 20 nanometers, their outside
diameter is 2,000 times thinner than a human hair. We have
gained some excellent experience with the processing of
these multi-walled CNTs.
What characteristics do they exhibit?
Multi-walled CNTs have the tendency to clump together
into bundles. During the course of the synthesis, this
property is reinforced. This creates tubes which are several
micrometers long. Those tubes then link together with
other tubes and together they form a highly agglomerated
bundle, the nodes of which represent the conduction points
for the energy flow. As an additives manufacturer, our task
is to unpack these agglomerates again and break them
back down into individual tubes. Otherwise, the perform-
ance characteristics of the CNTs cannot be used efficiently.
What path have you selected to achieve this?
Based on our expertise in wetting and dispersing agents,
we are in the process of developing finished dispersions for
our customers. The CNTs are already evenly distributed and
permanently stabilized in these innovative additives and
the CNTs have a reduced tendency to reagglomerate. Our
dispersions can be blended directly into the relevant paint
formulation and the nanotubes will distribute themselves
evenly. That offers many advantages to our customers and
also gives them an edge over their competitors.
So the customer receives a product that they can add to
their process immediately?
Exactly! As a general rule, CNTs are usually supplied in
powder form, so they are highly agglomerated. In theory,
the customer himself would have to unwind them – a com-
plicated and time-consuming process requiring specialized
expertise which is often lacking. Our dispersions eliminate
the need for those operations. Our customers receive a
product that can be used immediately – and one that offers
an excellent price-performance ratio.
“ Our customers receive a product that can be used immediately – and one that offers an excellent price-performance ratio.”
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i2 Our Vision
65
Fig. 1: Repeating units of polyacrylates.
Fig. 4: Silicone-modified polyacrylates – patented technology.
·R1 = - H (acrylate) - CH3 (methacrylate)
·R2 = - Alkyl - Reactive groups - Polyether - Polysiloxane
Fig. 3: Conventional surface additives.
Silicone chain Monomer A
Polyether chain Monomer B
Polyether-modified silicones Polyacrylates
Advantages of highly effective polyether-
modified silicone-based additives:
• Reduced cratering sensitivity
• Improved substrate wetting
Advantages
of polyacrylates:
• Good leveling
• Virtually no impact on surface tension
Polysiloxane macromonomer
Polyacrylate chain
Secure bonding of silicone chain to the
polyacrylate (NOT a blend)
Production via free radical or controlled
radical polymerization
CH3
CH3
CH3
CH3Si
Si
n
O
OO
Alkyl
OO
O
Fig. 2: Macromer technology.
i2 Innovation at BYK
Comb-shaped polyacrylates as surface-modifying additives
The simplest way to produce comb copolymers is to pro-
ceed with the free-radical polymerization of standard
(meth)acrylate monomers in combination with special
(meth)acrylates, the so-called macromonomers, or “macro-
mers” for short.
A (meth)acrylate monomer is a small molecule containing a
polymerizable double bond that binds chemically to other
monomers to build a polymer. A (meth)acrylate macromer
is essentially an assembly of pre-polymerized monomers
that has been modified to enable it to act as a monomer by
the addition of a polymerizable double bond.
The radical copolymerization of standard monomers and
macromers advantageously provides comb copolymers
(Fig. 1 & 2).
Purpose-designed comb copolymers with appropriate
combinations of monomer / macromer sequence distribution
and of pendant functional groups can in turn be used to
control the properties of additives. Using the macromer
technology, the properties of additives can be enhanced
through targeted design, for example, by introducing
hydrophobic or hydrophilic macromers in their polymeric
backbone. In this way, we designed specific comb copolymers
as surface-modifying additives that can dictate the surface
tension of coatings, meaning rendering their surfaces
hydrophobic or hydrophilic.
Due to the fact that silicone-modified polyacrylates have a
very flexible molecular design, coating properties such as
hydrophobicity, oleophobicity, anti-crater performance and
controlled slip can be adjusted very precisely. Using poly ether-
modified polyacrylates, reverse properties can be targeted
such as hydrophilicity, anti-slip, anti-fogging, improved re-
coatability and adhesion.
A new class of surface additives made with macromer technology
Silicone and polyether-modified polyacrylates represent a new class of surface additives. They are obtained by the copolymerization of silicone or polyether macromers with suitable monomers.
Authors: Dr. Guillaume Jaunky, Albert Frank, Dr. Jürgen Omeis
Macromer
Macromer comb copolymer
Monomer
Polymerization
R1
C CH2
C = O
O
R2
n
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i2 Our Vision
67
i2 Innovation at BYK
substrate wetting, slip, and oil and water repellency.
Compared to conventional silicone-based additives with
30-60% silicone, silicone-modified polyacrylates have a
significantly lower silicone content, typically in the range
of 2-15%. The significantly greater effect and orientation
is due to the orientation of the silicone chain to the coating
surface. With conventional silicone-based additives, the
silicone chains are oriented towards surfaces in the form of
loops. With silicone-modified polyacrylates, on the other
hand, the silicone chains can be oriented optimally with
their free ends, which gives them significantly greater
surface activity (Fig. 5).
Utilization as an easy-to-clean additive:
BYK®-SILCLEAN® 3700
With high silicone content in combination with a slightly
incompatible polyacrylate backbone, the polymer is strongly
oriented towards the surface, and with relatively high frac-
tions of silicone, it provides strong oil and water repellency
and significantly enhanced slip.
This results in a significant increase in surface slip, which in
turn enhances scratch resistance. The strong surface orien-
tation of the silicone chains creates very strong repulsion
effects against water and contaminants such as oil and dirt.
Moreover, this additive can also be used to equip coating
systems with anti-graffiti properties (Fig. 6) and significantly
enhance chemical resistance.
The reactive groups in the polymer can be used to anchor
the additive in the coating system to guarantee that the
effects are maintained over time. Moreover, the combination
of silicone content and polyacrylate chain results in very
good leveling of the coating surface.
Utilization as an anti-cratering additive in automotive
coating systems: BYK®-3550
The silicone and acrylate-based additives typically used in a
large number of modern automotive coating systems today
are reaching their limits. Silicone additives with a moderate
impact on surface tension provide good leveling, for
example, but are not particularly well suited for achieving
enhanced anti-cratering and substrate wetting characteris-
tics. In order to obtain these properties in the coating,
manufacturers mainly use active silicone additives. How-
ever, these can have a negative impact on recoatability,
intercoat adhesion, and leveling.
This often leads to problems, for example, when protective
foils detach from new vehicles during transport. When this
happens, they no longer perform their protective function
and can even create hazardous conditions if they end up on
the road or get caught in the railway system’s overhead
power lines.
This led to the development of BYK®-3550, a silicone-
modified polyacrylate characterized by low silicone content
Fig. 6: Easy-to-clean properties by using BYK®-SILCLEAN® 3700; two-component polyester coating, left panel: without additive, right panel: with additive.
The felt pen marks on the right panel can be easily wiped off with a dry cloth.
The right panel can be easily cleaned by simply flushing the surface with tap water.
Silicone-modified polyacrylates
Silicone and polyacrylate additives (Fig. 3) are used in
coatings and paints for a variety of reasons. They can be
used to help wet difficult substrates, i.e. non-polar or those
that are contaminated, and to optimize a coating’s leveling
or make coating surfaces smoother and more scratch-
resistant.
The silicones rarely consist of pure, unmodified polydimeth-
ylsiloxane, but rather they are almost always modified
through the addition of coating-compatible groups such as
polyether, polyester or alkyl structures.
Due to their very low surface tension, silicone additives
exhibit a strong affinity to interfaces, i.e. to the substrate,
to the coating surface, and between the different coating
layers in a multi-layer coating system. The saturation at
interfaces can influence both the surface tension of the wet
coating and the dried coating film. For this reason, silicone
additives are primarily used as substrate wetting and anti-
crater additives.
Polyacrylates, on the other hand, have a relatively high
surface tension and typically have little or no influence on
the surface tension of coatings. Their effect has more to do
with partial differences in surface tension at the coating
surface, which results in improved leveling.
Silicone-modified polyacrylates are manufactured via
radical polymerization of conventional acrylic monomers
with so-called silicone macromers that essentially consist of
a precisely defined chain of polydimethylsiloxane (Fig. 4).
The chemistry of silicone-modified polyacrylates is highly
variable and can be adjusted as necessary to meet specific
application requirements. The composition of the polyacryl-
ate chain can be varied by incorporating different mono-
mers. This can be used to control the polarity of the polya-
crylate block and the compatibility of the additive with the
coating system. The polyacrylate chain prevents cratering
when the additive is used in coating systems and enhances
leveling. Functional monomers can be used to incorporate
additional reactive groups such as hydroxyl, epoxy, and
carboxyl groups into the polymer. These reactive groups
can then be used to anchor an additive in the binder
matrix, and thus in the interface. By contrast, an additive
without reactive groups remains mobile and can migrate
to new surfaces during the recoating process. This can
eliminate many problems regarding intercoat adhesion.
The silicone part of the silicone-modified polyacrylates can
be varied both in terms of the length of the silicone chain
and, of course, in the amount of silicone macromer. The
strong incompatibility of the silicone chain reduces the
surface tension of the coating and, depending on the
amount of silicone, provides enhanced anti-cratering,
Fig. 5: Surface orientation of silicone-modified polyacrylates vs. conventional silicone-based additives.
Polysiloxane macromonomer Siloxane chain Polyacrylate chain Polyether chain
Silicone content approx. 1-15%
Silicone chain maintains free mobility
at one end for optimal orientation to
the interface
Silicone content approx. 30 - 60%
Silicone chain is interrupted by polyether
modification and cannot be optimally
oriented
Silicone-modified polyacrylates Polyether-modified silicones
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i2 Innovation at BYK
Conclusion
Polymeric additives based on macromer technology repre-
sent a new class of surface-modifying additives. Versatile
chem istry and modular molecular structure make it possible
to adjust their properties for specific applications.
The macromer technology is an important innovative tech-
nology that BYK is using on an industrial scale to develop
customer-orientated, surface-active additives. The current
research is focused on the design of surface additives
specifically designated for solvent-based, waterborne,
powder, and UV-curable formulations.
Fig. 7: BYK®-3550’s low influence on surface energy of the dry film improves adhesion of automotive protective foils and adhesives compared to conventional silicone additives.
and a polyacrylate chain with high coating compatibility.
BYK®-3550 dramatically reduces surface tension similar to
conventional silicone-based additives but without signifi-
cantly affecting slip or surface energy (Fig. 7).
Polyether-modified polyacrylates:
first-generation hydrophilic additives
The incorporation of polyethylene glycol-based macromono-
mers into poly(meth)acrylate backbones led to the first gen-
eration of hydrophilic additives that increased the surface
tension of coatings, meaning rendering them hydrophilic.
This effect is required to obtain fogging-free surfaces, im-
proved overcoatability with waterborne formulations or to
realize the hydrophilic approach to self-cleaning surfaces.
The first additive, BYK®-3933 P, was especially developed
for powder coating formulations. Its performance was
optimized for leveling, transparency, gloss, and improved
overcoatability of the resulting coatings (Fig. 8).
Innovative macromers
The first product developments were based on commer-
cially available macromers. Because only a few macromer
raw materials with limited molecular weight range are
available, BYK launched its own macromer research in or-
der to use in-house developed products and processes to
produce macromers on an industrial scale.
BYK also went one step further by developing innovative
patented technologies based on hyperbranched hydrophilic
macromers. This unique macromer structure (Fig. 9) is
conducive to outstanding properties and crystallization
behavior (Fig. 10), allowing the development of specific
surface-active additives that are able to self-concentrate at
the air-coating interface.
Fig. 8: Improved surface wetting using BYK®-3933 P (right side) v/s a standard polyacrylate (left side) in a powder coating base coat – overcoated with a waterborne blue paint.
Fig. 10: Crystallization behavior of copolymers made with standard monomers and a commercial linear polyether macromonomer (left) or with a hyperbranched polyether macromonomer (right) at different temperatures.
Fig. 9: Schematic representation of copolymers made with a unique
hyperbranched macromonomer (left) and with a linear
macromonomer (right).
Polyether chain Polyacrylate chain
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i2 Our Vision i2 Innovation at BYK
Headspace gas chromatography
Controlled temperature
of 100˚C
Glass vial
Sample
Injector
Detector
Gas chromatograph
Headspace gas chromatogram
There is no worldwide accepted standard which compre-
hensively and exhaustively documents all requirements of
“green” additives. The criteria and expectations established
by plastics manufacturers and processors differ from those
established by manufacturers of decorative coatings. So it
makes sense that green additives should try to address a
multifaceted range of needs which varies just as broadly as
the industries which use the additives in the formulation of
their products. The proportion of renewable resources, low
or zero VOC content, and compliance with the requirements
of various eco-labels are some of the demands placed on
additives manufacturers. But issues such as the biodegrada-
bility and the CO2 footprint of the additives used also have
to be considered.
Above all VOC-free
More and more coatings and plastics manufacturers are
making efforts to counter the growing problem of VOC
pollution by developing innovative VOC-free solutions. As a
result, VOC content has long since become one of the most
important criteria when it comes to determining the
eco-friendliness of a product or a raw material. This also
affects the development of new, innovative additives.
Today, two methods are applied to determine the VOC con-
tent of products. In Europe, the headspace gas chromatogra-
phy is used. This means that the corresponding
sample is securely enclosed in a glass vial and the composition
of the gas space above the sample (or “headspace”) is analyzed
by given criteria.
“EPA Method 24” is also used to determine VOC content
for the North American market. A gravimetric method for
determining VOC, EPA Method 24 determines the content
of non-volatile components by drying. The volatile share
is calculated by subtracting the content of non-volatile
components from the total initial mass. Finally, the content
of water and of solvents excluded from EPA 24 is also
determined. The values obtained in this way are subtracted
from the quantity of non-volatile components as well.
Author: Verena Skelnik
Greenability.
Achieving „green“
goals together.
72 73
i2 Innovation at BYKi2 Our Vision
BYK®-1740, a defoamer based on vegetable oil derivatives,
offers first-class defoaming properties which compare favo-
rably to – or even exceed – those of conventional mineral
oil-based defoamers. Suitable for emulsion paints with a
pigment volume concentration of 40-85% and for emulsion
plasters, this additive does not degrade color acceptance
and is also odorless. In addition, the “green” defoamer also
exhibits extraordinary stability against yellowing. And the
excellent storage stability of both the additive itself and of
the paint is also characteristic of this newest addition to
BYK’s “Greenability” product portfolio.
The “green” features of BYK®-1740 also speak for them-
selves: This defoamer is based on 100 % renewable raw
materials, which makes it a long-term alternative to mineral
oil-based products – products which will someday no longer
be available and are therefore becoming increasingly
expensive. Specially developed for the formulation of
state-of-the-art “green” paints, this VOC-free product
complies with worldwide Ecolabel standards.
Customers who have already tested the product confirm
that its technical properties compare favorably with those
of mineral oil defoamers – but with the major advantage
that BYK®-1740 is a 100% sustainable product.
The highlight: 100% green, 100% sustainability, 100% performance!
ByK’s responses to environmental trends in the plastics industry
Reduction of VOCs in polyolefins and PVC applications • Viscosity reducers with low emission values
for wall coatings and floors • BYK®-P 4200 stripping agent for automotive
applications
Phthalate-free PVC plastisols • BYK®-1161 and BYK®-1162
Additives for lightweight composites • BYK process additives
Additives based on renewable raw materials • BYK process additives • BYK viscosity reducers
1 = excellent
5 = poor
BYK®-1740 – excellent defoaming of a VAE interior paint (PVC 58)
Micro foam
Macro foam
0.3%Mineral oil
5
4
3
2
1
00.5%
Mineral oil0.3%
BYK®-17400.5%
BYK®-1740
BYK’s portfolio of VOC-free additives spans the complete
range from wetting and dispersing additives and defoamers
to silicone and wax-based surface-modifying additives, as
well as rheology additives and UV absorbers.
Setting an example
Environmentally conscious consumers are making more
and more of their purchasing decisions with the support
and influence of eco labels from independent institutions
and testing agencies. And, for their part, manufacturers
can also apply for labels such as these for their eco-friendly
products.
When a company applies for an eco label for one of its
products, it has to be certain that all of the raw materials
used meet the standards of the respective eco label.
Additives represent a low share of the overall formulation,
certainly lower than those of the other raw materials used.
Nevertheless, they have to meet the standards as well.
Due to the large number of different eco labels, it is im-
possible to make any definitive statement about the con-
formity of our products, but we have already reviewed our
portfolio with regard to Blue Angel (Germany), Ecolabel
(Europe) and also with regard to the regulations of
Green Seal (USA). “A large share of our products meet the
requirements listed there,” confirms Dr. Gerald Kirchner,
Head of Innovation Management at BYK.
Life cycle assessment and carbon footprint
Life cycle assessment is a systematic analysis to determine
the environmental effects of products or processes throug-
hout the entire product life cycle. Systematically compiling
an eco-balance sheet in this way serves to identify optimi-
zation potentials. Apart from the consistent “cradle-to-
grave” perspective, which examines the entire life of a pro-
duct from the extraction of the raw materials all the way to
final disposal, it is also possible to focus on only one part of
the product life cycle. In this latter case, the analysis com-
piles a partial balance sheet from the extraction of the raw
materials up until the moment when the end product leaves
the factory gate.
One element of the life cycle assessment for a product is
the product carbon footprint. The product carbon foot-
print is an instrument to describe the greenhouse gas
emissions of a product‘s life cycle and a customer-friendly
way to communicate eco-friendly products.
“Without such systematic analysis, we cannot make reliable
assessments of the environmental impacts of our products,”
explains Dr. Kirchner. “Initial calculations have shown that
our additives based on renewable materials offer advantages
over our petrochemical products.”
Greenability.
Achieving „green“
goals together.
74
Imprint
Publisher:
BYK-Chemie GmbH
www.byk.com
Editing:
Verena Skelnik
Bettina Robertz
Frank Dederichs
Articles:
Christian Biecker
Dörte Claußen-Dietsch
Friedhelm Fensterseifer
Albert Frank
Stefan Gollnick
Dr. Ralf Hoffmann
Dr. Guillaume Jaunky
Dr. René Nagelsdiek
Dr. Jürgen Omeis
Verena Skelnik
Jill St. John
words unlimited, Düsseldorf
Support:
Hong Feng
Thomas Goebel
Dr. Gerald Kirchner
Wilhelm Klammer
Carina Kraft
Dr. Stefan Mößmer
Carsten Nagel
Sachiko Namasuya
Lindsay Oddo
Markus Rößner
Design:
Klunk Kommunikation, Düsseldorf
Copy editing:
Claudia Heinrich, Textkultur
Andrea Willms, LLINGUA
Illustrations:
BYK
fotolia
Dirk Moll, Köln
Sabine Nollmann, Bremen
plainpicture, Hamburg
photocase, Berlin
Print:
Druckstudio GmbH, Düsseldorf
“ My best ideas occur to me either when I’m around people or when I’m dreaming – and also sometimes when I have to wait for a plane or a bus.”
“ My most innovative moments are when I am outside in natural surroundings – on a hike along a river, for instance, or bathing in a hot spring. Being in the company of others – friends or customers – often has a very inspiring effect on me as well.”
“ I’ve always thought it would be great if we had a TV screen on our foreheads that showed what we were really thinking...now that would be innovative!”
“ Innovations most important to me are those that improve and positively impact my life and the lives of those around me.”
“ My best ideas come when I am interacting with other people. They may say something that can trigger a thought and then we can bounce it back and forth to come up with something really interesting.”
“ Personally I get my best ideas when I’m relaxed – while jogging, just before falling asleep, or when I’m together with friends. Sometimes customer meetings are also extremely inspiring.”
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