Application Of Wax Additives In Water-based Varnish

Application of wax additives in water-based varnish, polyethylene wax is the most commonly used wear-resistant additive in the ink industry, and also has the characteristics of improving hand feel, anti-adhesion, anti-fouling, waterproofing, etc. In water-based varnish, polyethylene wax mainly appears in four forms: water-based micro-powder wax, dispersion, micro-dispersion and wax emulsion.

wax additive

The main advantage of water-based micro-powder wax is that it does not contain emulsifiers and has a small amount of addition. Its main disadvantage is that it has high technical requirements for dispersion in water-based systems and is less convenient to use.

The advantages of wax emulsions and wax dispersions are easy to use, many product specifications, and a wide range of choices. Its disadvantage is that it is necessary to fully consider the matching relationship with the water-based resin system, the shelf life of wax emulsions and wax dispersions, and the high and low temperature resistance of storage and transportation.

Generally speaking, products with an average particle size of less than 500nm are called wax emulsions, and products with an average particle size of less than 100nm are called microemulsions; products with an average particle size of more than 500nm are called wax dispersions, and products with an average particle size of less than 1um are called microdispersions.

Application of wax additives in water-based varnishes:

The effect of wax on the wear resistance and gloss of varnishes is closely related to the particle size of wax additives. Wax dispersions with larger particle sizes have better wear resistance, but the extinction is also obvious. The average particle size of mainstream wax dispersions on the market is basically above 5μm, and they are also commonly used in water-based color inks. Wax emulsions with smaller particle sizes have good gloss, but the wear resistance will be worse at the same dosage. Wax microdispersions are a good balance point, which ensures good wear resistance without affecting the gloss of water-based varnishes.