Surfactants play a key role in the coatings industry. They are used as binder emulsifiers and as pigment dispersants; also, they are required to improve wetting on low-energy substrates to control foaming during application and to prevent film defects caused by surface tension gradients. The majority of waterborne paints are latex. The emulsifier used in latex preparation is normally a combination of non-ionic and anionic surfactants. Traditionally, alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) have been the workforce of the coatings industry, but serious environmental concerns require the industry to move to lower-VOC and APE-free formulations.
With legislation in Europe and the green movement in the United States, Canada and other regions restricting the use of APE-based surfactants in coatings formulations, developing alternatives that can efficiently replace and impart a similar level of performance as APE has become increasingly urgent and much needed.