Due to their unique chemical structure and properties, silicone based coatings (SBCs) can be a formidable solution for imparting flame retardancy to various textile substrates. With increasingly stringent safety standards that must be complied with, the significant increase in demand for safer textiles offering enhanced flame retardancy can be seen in multiple industries. This is...
The surface tension of a coating is a fundamental property that describes how the molecules or particles at a coating’s surface interact with each other. It is typically measured in dynes per centimeter (dyn/cm) or millinewtons per meter (mN/m) where higher surface tension values indicate stronger cohesive forces at the surface. In the context of...
With respect to print and graphics, the processes of laminating and coating have vital roles in enhancing the durability, aesthetics and functionality of various materials. Both processes offer protective layers, but there are important differences between laminating and coating that merit exploration. Herein, we delve into these distinctions to shed light on their unique characteristics...
Additives are an essential part of coating applications for many manufacturing processes and end products. If added to a formulation, a solvent can manipulate properties to provide a ‘customised’ coating solution. This action results in additional functionality that many alternative coating technologies cannot match in terms of manufacturing capabilities or the specific performance properties of...
Nitrile adhesives, also known as acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) adhesives, are widely used in various industrial adhesive bonding processes due to their unique properties and capabilities. Nitriles offer several advantages that make them suitable for challenging environmental conditions where other polymer based adhesive formulations might fail. Let’s take a brief look at these performance properties and...
Since its first use by ancient Maya civilisations, rubber is still an essential polymer for hundreds of everyday products including vehicle tyres, footwear, clothing, sports equipment and kitchen appliances. It is also critical to many industrial and commercial applications such as electrical insulation, PPE, seals and gaskets, hydraulics, rubber drive belts, roof coatings and-yes, you’ve...
Silicones are synthetic polymers that can take many forms including solids, rubbers, liquids, gels, oils and pastes. They have an extremely wide range of physical and chemical properties due to their inorganic silicone-oxygen molecular structure. This makes them quite different to organic carbon-based substances in terms of greater chemical stability and inertness, providing silicones with...
Specialist adhesives consist of a variety of chemistries and come in a range of forms to suit specific requirements. Choosing the right adhesive formulation for a particular problem or application involves careful consideration of a number of factors. These include: Bonding properties of the adhesive The application and substrate type Application methods and production requirements...
Colour is a marketing differential that has significant branding importance for a company’s product range. Whether it’s the practically minded olive drab, or a favourite shade of lavender, the importance of consistency is paramount when designing performance coatings for end use applications. Consider a newly painted room. The perceived difference between a white and an off-white...
In 1902, and long before polyurethane adhesives and coatings were known of, ITAC’s founder John Marcus, discovered tyre scrapings dissolved in solvent made an excellent rubber adhesive. When painted on to the outside carcass of a tyre, this formed an ideal primer coat to which the tyre tread could be bonded. This marked ITAC’s beginnings...
