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| Paint&pintura |Maio2015
“PigmentDispersionProcess inaPaintFormulation:The-
ory and Practice”, aimed at reiterating the importance
of understanding, adjusting and applying the pigment
dispersion process as a prerequisite for producing a
structurally balanced paint with well-defined physical
and chemical properties. Also on focus were some of
theproblemsthatoccur inabaddispersion,methodsfor
improveddispersion, and theproper useof equipment
in the dispersion job.With over 25 years of experience
in thepaint and coatings industry, Tessaro is a chemical
engineer, industrial engineer, marketing postgraduate,
andprofessor. He is a co-advisor in themaster’s course
ofNewMaterialsScienceandTechnology(PPGEM -UFR-
GS -CAPES7).Healsoprovides trainingatcompanies, as
well as courses and lectures on coatings technology all
overBrazil.
Alkalinizes -AFriendlySubstitute
Thetrendtowardsenvironmentallyfriendlierproductshas
reachedthealkalinizermarkettoo.Theproductspreviously
inusecompletelydisregardedhumanhealthandenviron-
mentalprotectionstandards.However,after investments
innewdevelopmentsover thepast fewyears, zero-odor
and low-VOCalkalinizersarenowon themarketplace.
Anextremelyevolvingbusiness ishowthemarket inalka-
linizers isviewed,astheseproductsno longerhavehighly
toxic ingredients intheir formulation, suchasammonium
oramines,whichhavebeen replacedwithodorless, non-
-toxicqualityproductsthateffectivelyplaytheirmainrole
of regulating hydrogenic potential in the formula. “The
alkalinizermarket hasbeen seekingalternativeproducts
that arenotonly lessaggressive to theenvironment and
humans, but alsomore efficient. Accordingly,many pro-
ductshavecomeupon themarket in thepast fewyears
andgottenapieceof itthatwastraditionallytakenbyam-
monium,whosecharacteristicsaremoreaggressivetothe
environmentandtohumans,”saysWacker’sconstruction
siliconesalesmanagerPedroMarani.
About 12 years ago, alkalinizers basically consisted of
either ammonium,which ishighly toxicandcorrosive, or
triethylamine,atertiaryaminewhoseammoniacalodor is
milderthanthatofammonium,butatacostmuchhigher
than thatof its rival, according toVianaQuímica’s techni-
cal manager Glauber Alves. “That has all changed now,
as there are companies producingmodern alkalinizers
in themarketplace, andVianaQuímica standsout asone
suchproducer.”
The demand by paint manufacturers for products featuring
lowerodor,easeofuseandmultifunctionalityhascontributed
totheevolution inthismarketsegment,accordingtoHamilton
Oliveira, salesmanager for South America at Ashland. “Over
the past years, several new technologies have come up and
added value and functionality to alkalinizers, therebymaking
themarketmoredynamic.”
JoséJordanoPernomian, technicalbusinessmanageratPolys-
tell,explainstheroleofalkalinizersperfectly.“Apaint ismadeof
differentrawmaterials,suchasemulsions,surfactants,rheology
agentsandothers, all ofwhicharedispersed inawater-based
medium that requires a favorable and stable environment to
keepup theirproperties.Alkalinizersare theones responsible
forkeeping thisbalance in the interactionamong thedifferent
materials making up the formulation by setting an alkaline
hydrogenicpotentialusuallyrangingfrom8to9(idealformost
of thosematerials).”
Pigment Dispersions - Exatacor Plans to Expand
Business
Exatacor is investing to expand is plant located in Recife,
Pernambuco, andalso intends to startproducing resins in the
long term.
With 16 years of existence in the marketplace, three years
ago Exatacor acquired a decorative paint pigment dispersion
company named Sigmaquim, headquartered in Olinda, and
started doing business in the pigment dispersion business,
having previously served the textile industrywith chemicals,
colorantsandauxiliaries.
Since then, according to salesmanager JaimeAragão Junior,
Exatacor has experienced annual growthof 15 percent every
year in thepaint business,which represents about 15percent
of its sales. Exatacor operates in theNortheast from itshead-
quarters inRecife, and throughadistributor inFortalezaanda
salesrepresentative inBahia,aswellassalespersonswhocover
theotherneighboringstates,sellingpigmentdispersionsthat it
producesusing importedpigments, especially fromChinaand
India,anddistributingotherproducts likeresinsandauxiliaries.
Exatacor iscurrentlyproducingaround120tonsofpigmentdis-
persionsperyear(pigments inpowderform(imports)amount
to40 tons. “Webelievewe’regoing todouble that amount in
fiveyears’ time,”Junioranticipates.
Thecompanyhaskickedoff itsRecifeplantexpansionproject,
which is now under construction. “This is a five-fold increase
inourcurrentsize, asourareawhichnowcovers5,000square
meters is being expanded to 25,000 squaremeters, exactly
becausewearegoingtoseek internationalpartners,andweare
