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southern clay products, inc. | A rockwood specialties, inc. company

associative thickeners for aqueous systems

OPTIFLO

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OPTIFLO Polymeric Thickeners

HEAT, HEUR, and HASE

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For the better hal o the last century,

Southern Clay Products, Inc. has strived

to achieve higher levels o customer

satisaction, broaden our product line and

reach more areas internationally. We take

pride in oering the highest quality

specialty additives available and willcontinue to do so into the uture.

It was in the late 1940s that Southern Clay Products, Inc.

was ounded in Gonzales, Texas. In the early days o our

company we were comprised o miners and suppliers o

nely milled products rom local reserves. Over the years,

we were able to transorm rom a mining company into

a specialty chemical company and were able to achieve

global recognition in all major world areas.

We later became part o the Rockwood Specialties Inc.

team located in Princeton, New Jersey in 2000. Their

commercial and nancial support enabled Southern Clay

Products, Inc. to strengthen our position internationally.

With the December 2005 acquisition o Sd-Chemies

rheological additives and carbonless developers businesses

by Rockwood Holdings, Inc, which includes both Southern

Clay Products, Inc. and Rockwood Additives Limited, we arenow positioned to reach or the next level o success and

gain a stronger market hold in the years to come.

Both Southern Clay Products, Inc. and Sd-Chemie had

managed to reach major world markets, achieved high

levels o customer satisaction, continued research in a vast

number o technological areas, and developed and intro-

duced numerous new products as the companies strived to

be the best in their respective markets.

With both companies being incorporated into one, the

new Southern Clay Products, Inc. will not only continue toperorm as we have in the past, but we will now do so with

greater eciency. We will do this by oering our custom-

ers a wider range o products, continuing to expand our

position in the international market and by improving both

our technology and production capabilities.

S O U T H E R N C L A Y P R O D U C T S , I N C : A N I N T R O D U C T I O N

GONZALES

LOUISVILLE

WIDNESMOOSBURG

SINGAPORE

AUSTIN

EXECUTIVE OFFICES/DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS SALES & OPERATIONS SALES

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O P T I F L O A D D I T I v E P R O P E R T I E S & C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S

OPTIFLO HEAT (Hydrophobic Ethoxylated

Aminoplast Technology) Polymers

Nonionic and emulsier-ree

Low odor

Water clear

Products to meet all shear ranges

Creates excellent brush drag

Reduce spatter

Do not aect acceptance o tint pastes

Pseudoplastic/thixotropic behavior to prevent settling

OPTIFLO HEUR (Hydrophobic Ethoxylated

Urethane) Polymers

Nonionic and emulsier-ree

Typical HEUR odor and clarity

Designed or high shear viscosity range or EVA, Vinyl

Acrylic, and low responsive systems

Suitable or exterior coatings

OPTIFLO HASE (Hydrophobic Alkali Soluble

Emulsion) Polymers

Low viscosity emulsionTypical HASE odor

Exceptional Stormer and low shear development

Excellent thickener or interior paints

The OPTIFLO amily o thickeners has been designed to oer ormulators broad

ormulating latitude in paints, coatings, inks, sealants, caulks, and adhesives while

solving many o the problems oten encountered with conventional urethane based

thickeners. OPTIFLO products impart excellent fow and leveling, high lm build,

excellent stability, and unsurpassed resistance to blister, spatter, and syneresis when

used with a broad variety o latex binders including large and small particle size acryl-

ics, vinyl acrylics, styrene acrylics, and ethylene vinyl acetates (EVAs). While the use

o OPTIFLO thickeners can eliminate or reduce the need or cellulosics, OPTIFLO

products are more compatible with cellulosics than urethane based thickeners leading

to reduced paint syneresis and curtain sagging.

Increase resistance (to water, alcohol, liquid cleansers, etc.)

Improve barrier eects

Improve viscosity stability with universal tinting pastes

Increase stability with respect to pH fuctuations

No syneresis

Improve storage stability

No reduction in gloss

Haze-ree

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Structure o OPTIFLO Associative Thickeners

OPTIFLO is a water-soluble, associative polymer thickener,

which consists primarily o water-soluble polyethylene

glycol onto which a ew non-water soluble (hydrophobic)

molecules have been added via a patented aminoplast link-

age. In aqueous solutions, these hydrophobic molecules

either group together to orm micelles or associate with

other hydrophobic components, such as latex particles.

The long polyethylene oxide backbone remains dissolved

in water, where it links micelles and latex particles into a

network, which raises viscosity. The greater number o

nely divided latex particles present that can associate

with the hydrophobic modules, the greater the thickening

eect. Hence the term associative thickening.

OPTIFLO HV80 consists o a HASE or acrylic backbone

which also thickens by means o association, but requires

neutralization to solubilize the acrylic backbone.

How It Works

When the interactions described above orm a three-

dimensional network, associative thickeners greatly

increase viscosity, especially under high-shear conditions.

This strengthens the internal structure and thickens the

materials to a honey-like consistency. The number and

chemical nature o the hydrophobic groups in the thickener

molecule determine whether the increase in viscosity will

produce Newtonian or thixotropic / pseudoplastic behavior.

Unlike systems utilizing laminar silicates to produce

thixotropic behavior, systems thickened with OPTIFLO

additives have no yield point, which will ensure superior

paint fow and leveling ollowing application.

M E C H A N I S M S O F A C T I O N

Shear Rate >

Viscosity

>

Brush drag = Reduced spattering

OPTIFLO Additives

Laminar Silicates

Flow curve o systems thickened with OPTIFLO additives

Associative thickening mechanism

- Hydrophobic Molecules - Latex Particles

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OPTIFLO Additives in Formulations

Standard Products Rheology Actives [%] Dissolved In Comments

OPTIFLO L100 Highly Newtonian 20 Water HEAT / No VOCs

OPTIFLO M2600 Slightly Pseudoplastic 25 Water / DB* HEUR

OPTIFLO H370 Pseudoplastic / Thixotropic 20 Water / DB* HEAT

OPTIFLO H400 Pseudoplastic / Thixotropic 20 Water / DB* HEAT

OPTIFLO H500 Pseudoplastic / Thixotropic 17.5 Water / DB* HEAT

OPTIFLO H600 Pseudoplastic / Thixotropic 17.5 Water / DB* HEAT

OPTIFLO HV80 Highly Pseudoplastic 30 Water HASE

Specialties

OPTIFLO M2600-VF Pseudoplastic / Thixotropic 20 Water HEUR / No VOCs

OPTIFLO H370-VF Pseudoplastic / Thixotropic 17.5 Water HEAT / No VOCs

OPTIFLO TVS-VF Pseudoplastic / Thixotropic 12.5 Water HEAT / No VOCs

OPTIFLO TVS Pseudoplastic / Thixotropic 17.5 Water / DB* HEAT

*DB - diethylene glycol mono-butyl ether

Shear rate >

Viscosity>

OPTIFLO HOPTIFLO MOPTIFLO LUnthickened resin

Flow Curve

OPTIFLO Additives in FormulationsThree basic types o OPTIFLO products are available:OPTIFLO L, M and H

The thickening behavior o OPTIFLO L products islargely Newtonian.

The thickening behavior o OPTIFLO M products isslightly psuedoplastic.

OPTIFLO H products, on the other hand, are verypseudoplastic.

Regardless o grade, all OPTIFLO products have excellentthickening properties, particularly at high shear rates.

O P T I F L O A D D I T I v E S I N F O R M U L A T I O N S

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O P T I F L O A D D I T I v E A P P L I C A T I O N g U I D E

APPLICATION

GUIDE

OPTIFLO ADDITIVES

Standard Products Specialty Products

= Recommended= Suitable

L100 M2600 H370 H400 H500 H600 M2600-VF H370-VF TVS-VF TVS

Industrial paints

Wood lacquers a. varnishes

Furniture nishes

UV-curing parquetvarnishes

Paints or artists

Latex paints

Pigment pastes

Metallic nishes

Printing inksLatex plasters

Colored sandstone plasters

Special applications

Adhesives

Textile auxiliaries

Textile dyes

Window paints

Viscous Properties

Use OPTIFLO additives whenever you need eective

brush drag. OPTIFLO additives increase viscosity, which

primarily serves to improve spatter resistance. Because

OPTIFLO additives have no yield point, they generate

superior leveling characteristics in paints.

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OPTIFLO HV80 in a Satin VAE ormulation with 3% universal colorant showing an elimination ocolor foat vs a competitive HASE thickener.

Phthalo Blue Red Iron Oxide Lamp Black

Applying paints using a brush or roller places special

demands on the rheology o coating systems, particularly

with water-based paints.

This is especially true or decorative applications, where

products are applied primarily by brush or roller. Unlike

other methods, such as spraying, pouring or dipping, this

type o manual application requires paint to have certain

unique rheological properties. The reduction o viscosity

under shear needs to be infuenced and kept within certain

limits. Otherwise, the paint will lack the inner tenacity at

high-shear conditions which will result in extremely thin

coatings. Consequently, the paint coverage will be either

poor or insucient, potentially requiring numerous coats.

Due to the chemical structure, rheological additives

such as laminar silicates have very little aect on this

phenomenon. As a result, they are only eective under

low-shear conditions, which consequently lend to the

paints thixotropic and/or pseudoplastic properties.

The result is a necessity or a dierent approach to

elevate the viscosity at high shear rates (typically in the

range o 10,000 s-1).

Associative thickeners designed to achieve brush drag in

aqueous mediums have the ability to orm bonds (associ-

ations) with binder particles, pigments, llers or even with

themselves. The network that results rom these links is

stable even in high shear conditions, thereby generating

eective brush drag.

Forming a homogenous network within the paint and

within the paint lm ater application will quickly make the

dried coating water resistant.

U S E I N D E C O R A T I v E S Y S T E M S

OPTIFLO Additives In Decorative Systems

Competitive HASE OPTIFLO HV80 Competitive HASE OPTIFLO HV80 Competitive HASE OPTIFLO HV80

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The inormation within this reerence guide is intended to provide general nonspecic inormation about certain products produced and/or sold by Southern Clay Products,Inc. Southern Clay Products, Inc. does not, expressly or through implication, represent or warrant that the inormation within this reerence guide is applicable or yourintended use. Your reliance on the inormation within this reerence guide is solely at your own risk and liability. Please contact authorized representatives o Southern ClayProducts, Inc. or specic inormation concerning your proposed use o products provided and/or sold by Southern Clay Products, Inc. Trademark indicia set orth hereinapplies with respect to United States trademark rights. In other countries dierent trademark rights may apply. Without limiting the oregoing statements regarding trademarkrights, Perchem, Laponite, and Easigel are registered trademarks o Rockwood Specialties Inc. within the United Kingdom.

Copyright 2006 Southern Clay Products, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Associative thickeners are oten sensitive to the addition o

suractants, dispersing agents, wetting agents, and solvents.

These additives reduce the associative interactions between

the latex particles and the hydrophobic modules o the

thickener, thereby reducing viscosity. This problem primar-

ily arises when adding pigment concentrates which contain

large amounts o interering agents, such as dispersants and

suractants. Our OPTIFLO TVS (Tinting Viscosity Stabilizer)

thickener has been specially designed to address this issue.

Due to the unique opportunities aorded by aminoplast tech-

nology, OPTIFLO TVS contains an unusually high number

o strongly hydrophobic modules, making it less sensitive to

these intererents. OPTIFLO TVS is especially suitable or

base paints tinted with pigment concentrates.

Conclusions

Over the years the Paint and Coatings Industry has

adopted environmental regulations to lower VOC (Volatile

Organic Content) emissions in architectural coatings. As

a result, paint manuacturers are moving rom traditional

oil-based paint systems to water-based paint systems.

The challenge or the paint manuacturer is to main-

tain perormance properties such as brushability, stain

removal and durability. The OPTIFLO thickener system(invented and patented by Southern Clay Products, Inc.)

introduced in 1997 was designed or the paint manuac-

turer or use in latex or water-based paints to provide a

smooth creamy paint consistency with buttery like brush

eel while preventing roller spatter (splashing that can

occur rom the paint roller). In addition, a novel patented

technology was recently developed which will allow all

OPTIFLO products to be supplied VOC ree, this technol-

ogy known as OPTIFLO VF Technology will also urther

enhance the quality o the paint in areas such as coloruniormity and paint consistency (less separation).

OPTIFLO ADDITIVES or Tinting Paste Systems

U S E I N P A S T E S Y S T E M S

OPTIFLO TVS in a semi-gloss latex paint. Very little loss inviscosity is observed when tinting with a universal pigment paste

(phthalocyanine blue, iron oxide red, lamp-black).

OPTIFLO TVS0%

-10%

-20%

StandardThickener

-2

-12

0

-16

-22

-15

OPTIFLO TVS (TVS = Tinting Viscosity Stabilizer)

Reduction in viscosity when suractants are added tosystems using a standard thickener.

- Hydrophobic Molecules - Latex Particles - SuractantsReduction in viscosity [%]

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NAFTA

Southern Clay Products, Inc.

1212 Church Street

Gonzales, TX 78629

Telephone: 1-800-324-2891

Direct Line: 1-830-672-2891

Fax: 1-830-672-1903

1600 W. Hill Street

Louisville, KY 40210

Telephone: 1-800-468-7210

Direct Line: 1-502-772-4403Fax: 1-502-772-4440

Executive Ofces

5508 Highway 290 West

Suite 206

Austin, TX 78735

www.scprod.com

EUROPE

Rockwood Additives Limited

Mooreld Road

Widnes, Cheshire

UK WA8 3AA

Telephone: 44 (0) 151 495 2222

Fax: 44 (0) 151 420 4401

www.rockwoodadditives.com

Rockwood Clay Additives GmbH

Stadtwaldstr. 44,

85368 Moosburg, Germany

Telephone: 49 (0) 8761 72 150-0

Fax: 49 (0) 8761 72 150-334

ASIA

Rockwood Specialties (Singapore) Pte. Limited

171 Chin Swee Road

#10-08 San Centre

Singapore 169877

Telephone: 65 6532 0676

Fax: 65 532 0502