Water-Based Wetting and Leveling Agent Challenges? Chemi Tech's Professional Solutions for Flawless Coatings

In the pursuit of perfect coating appearance and performance, water-based coatings often face severe challenges during production and application: poor substrate wetting leading to craters and fish eyes; system incompatibility causing surface defects; inadequate leveling resulting in orange peel and brush marks. These surface issues not only compromise aesthetics but can also reduce the protective performance of the coating, leading to customer complaints and cost losses.

Addressing these market pain points, Chemi Tech is dedicated to research and development, offering a series of high-performance water-based wetting and leveling agents. Our solution is not merely about adding an additive; it is based on a deep understanding of coating interface science, providing full-process support from problem diagnosis to precise resolution.

Our specific solution steps are clear and methodical: First, our technical team conducts a detailed analysis of your coating system and substrate to accurately identify the root cause—whether it's insufficient wetting, imbalanced surface tension, or poor dynamic leveling. Second, based on the diagnosis, we select the most compatible wetting and leveling agent from the Chemi Tech product portfolio. Our agents effectively reduce the dynamic surface tension of the system, promoting rapid and uniform spreading of the coating on the substrate and primer, while enhancing system compatibility to avoid defects like Benard cells caused by surface tension gradients. Finally, we provide scientific dosage and process guidance to ensure the additive performs stably within the system without affecting intercoat adhesion or other core properties.

Practice validates the value of our solution. A furniture paint manufacturer encountered sporadic cratering at edges and corners when spraying their water-based clear topcoat. Adjustments to resins and defoamers failed to completely resolve the issue. After intervention by a Chemi Tech technical engineer, systematic testing identified the cause as uneven critical surface tension due to localized substrate contamination. We recommended a specific grade of wetting and leveling agent known for its extremely low dynamic surface tension and excellent substrate penetration. Following the guided addition, the cratering was completely eliminated. The coating achieved significantly improved gloss uniformity without introducing any side effects, enabling stable mass production.

Choosing Chemi Tech means gaining technical empowerment beyond the product itself. We are committed to helping every customer overcome coating surface challenges, achieving the leap from 'usable' to 'excellent,' and making your water-based coating products more competitive in the market.