Evonik now a leading additive supplier to the coatings industry

The acquisition of Air Products’ Performance Materials division, which was completed in early January, has been a key contribution in transforming Evonik Industries into a leading supplier of additives for the coatings industry. Effective January 3, 2017, Evonik merged its Coating Additives Business Line, the coatings business of its Silica Business Line and the speciality additives branch of Air Products with a focus on substrate wetting additives. Dr Claus Rettig, Chairman of the Board of Management, Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH, said: "The result is one of the world’s leading additives suppliers for the coatings industry. Our technology platform is unlike any other in the world. It allows us to develop innovative solutions for just about any formulation challenge in the paints and coatings industry.”

The products of the new business line complement each other well. The broad range of additives for water-based coatings under the Tego brand will be combined with Aerosil silica to control the rheological properties of paints and coatings, as well as the Acematt matting agent. The acquired substrate wetting agents under the Surfynol and Dynol brand names and additional expertise on the formulation of automotive coatings in particular are the perfect complement to the coatings additives portfolio.

To Dr Gaetano Blanda, Head of the new business line, joining forces to create added value for customers and Evonik is one of the most important goals. He wants to further strengthen the unit and places his trust in the excellently qualified employees. Some 450 employees at around 30 production and research sites of the new business line currently offer about 500 products.

Other than the expanded product portfolio, the acquisition of the Performance Materials division of Air Products will not initially mean any changes for customers. Blanda promises: "Contact persons and existing contracts will remain unaffected. It is our aim to provide our customers in the coatings industry with the best possible long-term product and service portfolio.”

Evonik merges three successful units in the new Coating Additives Business Line:

Part of the former specialty additives business of the Performance Materials division of Air Products
This former division of Air Products has been an important supplier of speciality additive technologies for the paints and coatings industry for more than 30 years. The business offers a large number of wetting agents, defoamers, grinding agents and dispersion additives that help formulators achieve the perfect finish. Some of the most important applications are in the automotive industry. The challenge facing formulators of automotive finishes is producing coatings that are environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and free of defects.

Silica Coatings
Among its other achievements, the coatings business of the Silica Business Line of Evonik produces two world-renowned product groups for the coatings industry: Aerosil and Acematt. As components of coatings and paints, Aerosil fumed silicas are primarily used for controlling rheological properties, as thickeners, thixotropic agents and anti-settling agents, and for improving anti-corrosion properties.

Acematt silica-based matting agents can alter the surface of a coating in order to scatter incident light in defined ways. Invisible to the human eye, the matting agent particles protrude from the coating, and do not significantly alter either the colour of the coating or that of the substrate when used in clear varnishes.

Coating Additives
The former Coating Additives Business Line of Evonik leads the additives market for water-based finishes. The business line’s Tego brand offers a unique range of products for customers in the coatings and printing inks industries. Its more than 200 products allow formulators to selectively adjust the functional properties of coatings.

In addition to its familiar defoamers and deaerators, the additive portfolio also includes wetting agents, dispersion additives, leveling additives, substrate wetting additives, radiation curing additives, rheological additives, and hydrophobising agents. Rounding out the product portfolio are cobinders, nanocomposites and speciality resins.