ICT: A Market Leader in Fluorosurfactants

Thetawet Fluorosurfactants

ICT provides a wide range of Thetawet Fluorosurfactants to deliver multiple benefits which can improve the performance of your coatings and formulations.  Many of the Thetawet Fluorosurfactants allow for reduction or elimination of VOC in coatings formulations.  Fluorosurfactants are a class of specialty surfactants developed for use in applications where traditional hydrocarbon surfactants can't deliver the required level of performance, such as:

• Wetting for low energy surfaces

  Fluorosurfactants are the most effective and efficient means to reduce the surface tension of aqueous coatings systems to < 20 dynes/cm and enable wetting of low energy surfaces.   Hydrocarbon surfactants typically reduce the surface tension to 30-35 dynes/cm.

• Leveling

  Smoother, more reflective surfaces can be achieved by using fluorosurfactant to improve leveling performance. 

• Penetration

  Improved penetration combined with the low energy wetting capabilities of fluorosurfactants can significantly boost the performance of cleaning products including floor and automotive polishes. 

• Chemical or Thermal Stability in harsh environments

  Unlike traditional hydrocarbon surfactants, fluorosurfactants provide chemical and thermal stability to perform in harsh environments.

  • High caustic environments such as for floor strippers, harsh cleaners, rust removers

  • High acid environments such as metal plating baths, precision cleaning baths, metal passivation baths

  • Oxidizing environments such as peroxide-based cleaners, chromic acid baths 

• Very Low Use Levels for most cost-effective performance

  Fluorosurfactants perform at very low use levels to deliver the most efficient and cost-effective solutions.

  Due to the low use levels, impact on formulation stability or benefits can be minimized versus traditional hydrocarbon surfactants.

• Uniformity and Reduction in Surface Defects

  Uniformity of coatings can be improved with use of fluorosurfactants as well as reducing surface defects.

  Better uniformity of coverage for super-thin coatings such as industrial “flash-rust” primers can be achieved.

  Use of fluorosurfactants can assist with elimination of defects, such as for coatings of oil-contaminated surfaces.

• Foam generation

  ICT Thetawet fluorosurfactants are available with a range of low foam to high foam characteristics.

• Improvements in open-time and anti-blocking

  For paints and coatings, open-time extension and block resistance are additional benefits for use of fluorosurfactants.

Thetawet Product Line

ICT provides a broad range of Thetawet Fluorosurfactants to deliver maximum performance and efficiency for coatings and formulations.

Thetawet Foaming Properties

Thetawet Fluorosurfactants find use in applications ranging from Oil Field brine foaming to controlled foam clean-in-place systems.  The chart below provides foaming information for the Thetawet surfactants.

Thetawet Fluorosurfactant Uses

Fluorosurfactants provide performance benefits for many areas of use:

• Paints and Coatings
• Industrial Cleaners
• Oil field and Mining
• Other

Additional Information

Surface Tension data, as well as Specific Application and Use Guidance is provided in the ICT Thetawet Fluorosurfactant brochure.

For more information, or to request a sample, Contact ICT.