ASTRA WA®
Wetting Agents
Substrate wetting agents. Significantly reduce surface tension, prevent craters, improve flow and leveling. Some grades also have defoaming properties.
Why use substrate wetting agents?
When a coating cannot properly wet the substrate, it forms craters, fisheyes and dewetting defects. Wetting agents dramatically lower surface tension so the coating spreads evenly across difficult substrates like plastics, metals contaminated with oil, and low-energy surfaces.
Key Benefits
- Significant surface tension reduction
- Crater and fisheye prevention
- Better flow and leveling on difficult substrates
- Some grades also defoam
- Compatible with solvent, water and UV systems
- Improves edge coverage on sharp features
Impact on Coating Performance
ASTRA WA agents eliminate the most frustrating defects on contaminated or low-energy substrates. The result: cleaner finishes, lower reject rates and higher production yields.
O – organosoluble, WB – water-based, RC – radiation-curable
Product Catalog
Download TDS| Active % | Feature | TDS | Samples | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASTRA WA-2503 | Tego Twin 4000（Evonik） | Solvent-based / Water-based / Radiation-curable | 100% | Reduces the surface tension of the system, ensures wetting of the substrate, does not provoke foam. |
Articles about ASTRA WA®
How to Achieve Uniform Effect Pigment Dispersion Without Losing Optical Effect
How to Achieve Uniform Effect Pigment Dispersion Without Losing Optical Effect ! Decorative title card with pigment and dispersant illustrations The best-practice route to stable effect pigment dispersion is controlled pre-wetting followed by measured mechanical energy, not brute-force milling.
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What Causes Color Strength Loss in Coatings and Inks
What Causes Color Strength Loss in Coatings and Inks ! Decorative title card illustration for chemical coatings article Color strength loss is the measurable reduction in a pigment's tinting power, whether the culprit is poor dispersion, flocculation, a shift in pigment crystal phase, or damage from…
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Wetting vs Dispersing: What Actually Separates the Two
Wetting vs Dispersing: What Actually Separates the Two ! Decorative title card illustration Wetting agents lower liquid surface tension so a resin or solvent can spread across a pigment surface; dispersing agents adsorb onto that wetted surface and keep particles apart once the mill has broken them…
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