Ask the Experts: Paints/Coatings

How can I remove foam and improve the aesthetics of my urethane/acrylic water-based wood coating?

How does potlife affect additive selection for waterborne 2K epoxy coatings?

My coating needs a silicone defoamer, but everything I try results in craters or fisheyes! How can I achieve powerful defoaming without causing surface defects?

I’m finding it difficult to control microfoam and pinholes in my airless spray applied topcoats. What would you suggest?

What effective fluorosurfactant replacements are available for my coatings formulations?

Is there a non-MDA-based epoxy curing agent available that provides high chemical resistance?

I’m continuing to experience surface defects such as pinholes and craters in my coatings. Help.

I have been experiencing flow and leveling surface defects, such as orange peel, with my waterborne coating formulation. How can I overcome this problem?

How can I formulate a low-VOC coating that forms a continuous film at low temperature?

How can I get more color out of my pigment?

I’m confused by the bewildering number of defoamers available. Do you have any simple guideline to help me choose a defoamer?

How can I get a good black or dark grey color in my waterborne epoxy coatings without pigment flooding or flotation problems?

I am formulating waterborne alkyd coatings and need defoamer additives to improve my coating manufacturing, application and performance properties. What can you suggest?

How can I overcome the surface defects I’m experiencing in my spray-applied coating?

How do I select a pigment dispersant?

I’m continuing to experience surface defects such as pinholes and craters in my coatings. What do you recommend?

Why is surface tension important in aqueous pigment dispersion?

What technologies are available to formulate coatings for green concrete?

How can I get ultrahigh performance at a reasonable cost in a two-component waterborne coating system?

How can I produce a high-performance industrial flooring system with high permeability?

With the advent of the new AIM regulations under the Clean Air Act, how can I formulate a low-VOC polyamide-based epoxy coating without losing performance or adding cost to my system?

Can water-based coating systems really perform on metal substrates?

Could you recommend an epoxy resin for formulating a 2K, ambient-cure, zero-VOC, waterborne anti-corrosive primer that dries fast, has good corrosion performance, and is cost-effective?

How can I formulate a low-cost, water-based concrete floor sealer that is easy to handle and has quick recoatability?

How can I formulate a low-viscosity epoxy flooring system with fast cure for a quick return to service while still giving applicators reasonable working time?

Can I design a low-cost, two-component waterborne epoxy coating that still maintains excellent performance on steel?

How can I formulate two-component polyamide-based epoxy coatings to lower solvent content without losing performance or adding cost to my system?

The performance of my solvent-borne epoxy curative seems to deteriorate quickly over time. What is the problem?

How can I get faster cure at low temperatures in my epoxy coating system?