How to Select Dispersing Agents?

Dispersants, also named dispersing agents, are essentials ingredients in the formulator’s
toolbox. They help keep pigments and fillers stable until the application of the paint, and
the formation of the dried coating. Beyond bright and vivid colors, many other coating
properties depend on the choice of your dispersants.

In this guide, we will explain -

o How dispersants work in the paint medium,
o The difference between the various chemistries available, and
o How to choose the best dispersant for your case.
While revisiting your dispersing agent selection, you may also wish to review your pigment
selection.

Dispersants vs. wetting agents: what is the difference?

We often hear wetting and dispersing agents mentioned together, almost as one additive category.
However, wetting agents and dispersants do not play the same role in the formulation. Dispersion of
pigments in paint happens in 3 steps:

o Wetting agents ease the wetting of solid particles,

o Dispersing agents ensures the stability of the dispersion over time, and
o Mechanical forces ensure the separation of particles

Wetting agents are not always needed – they are majorly used in case you work with hydrophobic
pigments in a water-based system. Determine whether you need wetting agents in your formulation.
In this guide, we will focus on dispersants only. We may use dispersants and dispersing agents
randomly to speak of this ingredient category.

What is a dispersing agent or dispersant?

A dispersing agent by definition is a paint ingredient which is used to avoid the flocculation of
pigments and fillers. In other words, dispersants promote and stabilize the suspension of solid
particles in the paint medium.

All dispersing agents have two parts:

o Anchoring groups
o Soluble tails

The choice of your dispersant will greatly influence the quality of your dispersion. They improve:
o Milling time and viscosity
o Tint strength
o Hiding power
o Gloss
o Water resistance
o Batch-to-batch consistency
How does a dispersant work?
Dispersants function by reducing the attraction between solid particles like pigments, fillers, or
additives in any dispersion. This prevents the solid particles from agglomerating or settling out.

Generally, when solid particles are added to any liquid medium, they tend to attract each other due
to intramolecular forces. Dispersants function is to initially separate these particles from each other
and continuously avoid further agglomeration.

First, anchoring groups adsorb to the pigments and fillers surface. They form strong physical bonds
with chemical groups that are present on the surface of the particles, the so-called anchor sites.

Second, soluble tails create a layer around the solid particles preventing dispersed particles to glue
together again and ensuring colloidal stability. These repulsive forces working against the natural
attraction of particles are of two kinds:

o Electrostatic repulsion: The surface of particles is equally charged and they repel each other.
o Steric repulsion: The tails form a layer around the solid particles and prevent particles to
collide with each other.

Here is a short video showing dispersant mode of action:

The mode of action is quite simple. The selection of the right dispersant is not. There are more than
2600 dispersing agents available on the market today!
Why are there so many different commercial dispersants to choose
from?
If there is no affinity between the anchor groups of the dispersant and the anchor site of the solid
particles, bonding fails, and the dispersant can’t play its role in the formulation.

Chemicals functional groups (anchor sites) at the surface of pigments and fillers vary a lot. Some are
surface-treated, and others are not. So that proper anchoring can take place, dispersing agents also
come with a great variety of functional groups. To name a few, you will find grades with amine,
amide, sulfonate, or phosphate anchoring groups.

On the other hand, the dispersant tail must be soluble in the paint medium and compatible with the
binder. Again, depending on the binder and solvent characteristics, formulators need different
solutions.

What are the key selection criteria for dispersing agents?

Choose the best fitted stabilization method

The first question to answer when selecting your dispersing agent is whether you need electrostatic
or steric repulsion. The answer is highly dependent on the system you formulate: Is it solvent-based?
Water-based?

If your paint medium is apolar (solvent-based paints), the answer is simple. Electrostatic
stabilization is impossible. Steric stabilization is the only way.

With a polar medium (water-based and some solvent-based formula),

o Electrostatic stabilization is the default way. This is for example the kind of stabilization
mechanism that you would find in wall paints.
o In case of more complex systems, steric stabilization can prove useful.
o Nowadays, many modern dispersants are offering electrosteric stabilization. They provide both
electrostatic and steric stabilization in a single molecule.

Anchor sites at the surface of your pigments and fillers

As your dispersant molecules need to bond with the solid particle, it is important to identify the
anchoring opportunities you have with your pigments and fillers:
o Are you trying to stabilize organic pigments? Inorganic?
o Are you working with naked or surface-treated particles?

It is important to know so you can choose a molecule that can adsorb on the solid particle.
Hydrogen bonding is the most frequent mechanism involved. You may hear people speak of
acid/base or donor/acceptor interactions.

Good binder compatibility

The non-adsorbing moieties of the dispersing agent should demonstrate excellent compatibility with
the binder system. This is essential for optimal stability in the liquid phase as well as best film
performance. Any incompatibility may result in pigment flocculation in the wet paint, even during
film formation.
Different Types of Dispersing and Their Chemistries
There are many dispersing agents chemistries today in the coatings market, and choosing the right
one for your system is tricky. The chemistry of your dispersing agent plays an important role in the
performance and success of your final coating. The optimal dispersing agent chemistry can impact
the stability, quality, and performance of your dispersion or coating. Various dispersing agent
classes can be classified as below:

1. Conventional Dispersing Agents (High Mw, Low Mw)

2. Polymeric Dispersing Agents
3. Ionic and Non-ionic Dispersing Agents

Let’s find out more about the different chemistry types of dispersing agents.

Conventional Dispersing Agents

Mainly low molecular weight, they are based on polyesters, polyamides, polyglycols and fatty acid
chemistry (FAME). They have general characteristics as listed below:
o Surfactant effect, reduction of solid / liquid interface surface tension
o Anchoring groups adsorbed at the pigment surface
o Good compatibility with the media
o MW = 500 ~ 2,000 g/mol

Other key features of this type of dispersants include:

o Excellent wetting power
o Grinding / dispersing time reduction
o Anti-sedimentation
o Effective against flooding and floating
o Action mode: Mainly electrostatic, few steric hindrance
o Recommended for inorganic materials and waterborne systems suitable for organic pigments

High molecular mass dispersants (Mw approx. 5000-30,000 g/mol) – They are most widely used in
industrial paints. As compared to low molecular mass dispersants, they typically provide:
o Superior performances,
o Workability,
o Best coloristic properties,
o Gloss,
o Film transparency,
o Film integrity,
o Low risk of being extracted from the dried film, and
o Minimal side effects.

High Versus Low Molecular Mass -based Dispersants

High molecular mass-based additives tend to be more system specific as compared to low
molecular mass dispersants and a careful selection and evaluation procedure is required.
Oligomers of medium high molecular mass (Mw around 1000-2000 g/mol) typically show widest range
of compatibility and superior (fast) pigment wetting properties in comparison to high molecular mass
products, whereas still outperforming low molecular mass products in dispersion stability and film
consistency properties.

With few exceptions, monomolecular surfactant-based additives are less commonly used as
dispersing agent. This is because, this group typically is inferior in contributing to dispersion
stability and has high risk on effecting film properties, such as:
o Water sensibility
o Hardness, and
o Substrate adhesion

If you struggling at achieving the desired characteristics - hardness, resistance to water and
solvents or adhesion even you have the right chemistry, then it may come from an overuse of
dispersants. Take this quick tutorial to save on troubleshooting and understand if you are
using optimum level of dispersants (and hence, lower formulation costs).

Polymeric Dispersants

Main dispersing agents that are polymeric include polyacrylates, polyester, polyether or
polyurethane-based systems. The classification of polymeric types dispersants is based on their:
o Anchoring mechanism
o Chemical structure (polyacrylic, polyurethane, copolymer…), and
o Molecular weight

This type is also influenced by the polymer design (linear, branched, star designed) and the
polymerization process (controlled polymerization process types offer high performances products
but are also more expensive). Their key characteristics include:
o Polymeric type: many anchoring groups
o Large choice of chemistry
o Large choice of polymer design and molecular weight
o Mw = 5,000 ~ 50,000 g/mol

Further, polymeric dispersing agents offer several benefits as listed below.

o Excellent wetting power
o Grinding / dispersing time reduction
o Very effective for the long term stabilization
o Action mode: steric hindrance
o Polyvalent family (waterborne, solventborne, organic or inorganic material)

Polyacrylic Acid Based / Polyacrylates - Polyacrylic acid-based dispersants are usually lower in
molecular weight (and also in cost) in comparison with the other structures. They are particularly
recommended in water-based paints to increase the pigment load of inorganic material. Very nice
cost effective product. Ammonium and sodium salt are typical products for latex paints - higher in
molecular weights, they can offer a better compatibility.

Polyurethanes - They are excellent for the millbase viscosity reduction. As a consequence, PU
dispersants enhance the pigment load and reduce the dispersing time. The flexibility of this
structure (backbone, branched chains, anchoring groups) allows the design of various structures for
many solventborne and solvent-free systems.

Controlled Polymerization Technology (CPT)/ Living Chain Growth

This polymerization process allows the manufacturer to make very fine adjustment on the polymer
chain, which is not the case with the classical step-growth process (condensation polymerization is
a random process).

Dispersing agent polymerized with this process are very similar batch to batch, which is not the
case of classical condensation where the molecular weight can vary significantly from one batch to
the other. Very effective but more expensive products.

The table below compares the properties of conventional and polymeric dispersing agents.

Property Conventional Polymeric

Waterborne ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐

System
Solventborne ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐

Organic ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐
Pigment
Mineral ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐

Electrostatic Stabilization High Low

Steric Hindrance Stabilization Low High

Pigment load Low - Medium High

Final pigment paste quality Low - Medium High – Very high

Versatility Medium High

Price Low - Medium High – Very high

Ionic and Non-ionic Dispersants

For use in water-based paints or coatings, anionic charged and non-ionic dispersing agents can be
considered. Excellent wetting and dispersion performance in mill-bases for dispersion paints can be
achieved using a combination of sodium- or ammonium-polycarboxylate and polymeric non-ionic
surfactant additive. A main non-ionic additive is alkyl phenol ethoxylate (APE) and more precisely
nonyl phenol ethoxylate, NP 10 (ethylene glycol chain of 10 units). Due to toxicity concerns, NP 10 is
being replaced now with an APE free non-ionic, possessing same HLB-value.

HLB stands for hydrophilic lipophilic balance and is used as indicative value for comparing nonionic
surfactants from different hydrophobic nature. The HLB value can be calculated from the percentage
hydrophilic components in a molecule, divided by 5.
 Effect of the Dispersing Agent on Color Development PBk in a Stoving Enamel.
High molecular Mass Dispersant (L), Right Low Molecular Mass Dispersant (R)

Related to the high degree of ionic dissociation in water, applying combinations of anionic
and cationic dispersants in aqueous systems should be avoided; reaction between the anionic and
cationic products may result in insolubility and changed surface activity.

Cationic, amine functional dispersants are successfully used in solvent-borne systems, for instance
to support the wetting and dispersing process. Due to the low degree of dissociation the effect of
the electronic charge is less evident in a-polar systems.

Select the Right Dispersing Agent for Your Formulation

Selecting the best wetting and dispersing agent for a system may look complicated first, but many
clues can orientate our choice. Here is an overview of most commonly-used chemistries depending
on the end-use application.
Dispersant Performance According to Your End-use Application

Polymeric
End-use
Conventional
Application Polyacrylic
Polyurethane Polyacrylates CPT
acid

Architectural
⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐
(Interior)

Architectural
⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐
(Exterior)

Automotive ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐

Can / Coil ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐

General Industry ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐

 Printing ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐

Wood / Flooring ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐

Resin Containing
⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
Concentrates

Resin Free
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
Concentrates

Universal Pigment
⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐
Concentrate

It can be concluded that: selecting the right dispersing agent is a compromised based on many
parameters.
o First, the system itself (waterborne or solvent borne)
o Then the pigment (organic, mineral, fine, rough, transparent…)
o And finally, the end-use application

Role of Dispersants in Preventing Sedimentation

In general, solid particles in a liquid are pulled down because of gravitational force. The cause for
this phenomenon is that most pigments and fillers have a density that is higher than the density of
the liquid that surrounds the particles. The process of particles sinking in a liquid, called
sedimentation, can give problems during storage. In the extreme case, particles can cluster
together on the bottom of the can. This phenomenon, resulting in the formation of hard sediment, is
called settling.

Sedimentation of a Solid Particle in a Liquid

Several properties govern the speed of sedimentation:

o An important factor, governing how fast a particle will go down, is the density of the particle
or, to be more precise, the difference in the density of the particle and the density of the
surrounding liquid (ρp - ρl).
o The second factor is size: big particles sink faster than small particles.
o The third factor is the viscosity of the surrounding liquid. Liquid has to make place when a
particle goes down: liquid must flow around the particle to fill-up the space where the particle
comes from. This flow of liquid is easier when the viscosity of the liquid is lower. A low
viscosity of the liquid will, therefore, result in faster sedimentation.
Related Read: Get clarity around the core fundamentals for efficient management of the rheological
profile of your product

Sedimentation is mainly a problem that occurs during storage of the system. During storage, the
system stands still and the main force acting on the system is the gravitational force. Sinking of
particles can be prevented by arranging a physical network in the system.

Reversible Physical Network Preventing Sedimentation

Because of the physical network, the particles behave as if they are frozen-in during storage when
the applied force is low. During storage, the liquid paint or ink can be considered as a solid system
when the physical network is strong enough. As soon as enough force is applied, for example by
mixing, brushing, pumping or spraying, the physical network breaks down, and the system behaves
as a liquid.

A physical network can be built-up in a liquid system by using rheology additives, often referred to
as associative thickeners. The materials are called ‘associative’ because they attach themselves
onto fellow molecules or they adsorb partly at the surface of particles that are present in the
system.

The physical network, obtained by using rheology additives, has to be strong enough to resist the
gravitational force during storage. On the other hand, the network must be weak enough to be
broken down as soon as enough force is applied.

How dispersants work with different pigments?

Pigments are usually the most expensive raw material in paint systems and can only show their full
color strength if optimally dispersed. High performance dispersants can provide the required color
quality with the minimum amount of pigment and, thus, help to minimize raw material costs.

Easily Wetted Pigments Vs Difficult to Disperse Pigments

The necessity to contribute to wetting depends on the pigment liquid phase characteristics. Easy
wetted pigments, like Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) in water, do not require additional wetting support, so
emphasize on the contribution of the dispersant is very much on stabilization effect.

The main group of dispersants as used in white water-based dispersion paints is sodium-
polycarboxylate. Indeed, this dispersant provides excellent electrostatic stabilization, but provides
only limited wetting activity.

However, another important pigment – Carbon Black – is difficult to disperse and stabilize, primarily
due to their notoriously low surface charge and poor wetting characteristics. Carbon black pigments
provide excellent color and hiding power and can ultimately improve coating performance.

But at the same time, carbon black is generally considered to be the most time consuming and
difficult pigment to disperse. This is especially true for waterborne systems because water is very
polar, has high surface tension, and there is little interaction between the binder and the pigment.
These properties require the use of a highly efficient wetting and dispersing agent.

Organic pigments are high in tint strength and brightness, but they are very difficult to disperse and
stabilize because of small particle size. The small particle size causes following issues inhibiting
wetting and dispersant adsorption :

o Increased flocculation
o Non-uniform surface structure
o Low surface energy

Dispersants as offered for organic pigments in water demonstrate strong wetting support, as well as
stabilization activity. A wide range of products is offered, however, having in common of offering
surfactant (reduction interfacial tension pigment and liquid phase) as well as strong stabilization
properties.

Can science-based approach help you go faster in selection process? One possible approach to
quickly predict the most compatible dispersant/pigment pairing is by using Hansen Solubility
Parameters. Read this case study utilizing 2 carbon black grades (Raven 5000 Ultra II and Raven
5100 Ultra) and 2 dispersants (Tego® Dispers 761 W and CLiQSPERSE® 149), where compatibility
predictions were made and validated via practical experiments.

CASE STUDY
Optimizing Coating Performance via Predictive Compatibility Parameters of Carbon Blacks
and Dispersants

» READ CASE STUDY

How can you evaluate the efficiency of Wetting & Dispersing Agent?
The wetting & dispersing agent has a significant influence on the paint properties. It has a direct
impact on the particle size, and then, its efficiency can be evaluated by checking the right
parameters.

To complete its validation, the wetting & dispersing agent must follow a serial of laboratory tests as
discussed below.

1. Compatibility with the System - Mix the wetting & dispersing agent with the system,
without pigments. It should be perfectly compatible with the other formulation component.
If not, try adjusting the pH or the polarity.
2. Pigment Shock - After the dispersion, make a simple poor-out of a small amount of paint
diluted (10-20% in solvent or water). Pigment shock results of a poor pigment stabilization.

3. Draw down - Make a simple draw down and check the quality of the application - Color
strength, transparency, gloss, general aspect. Incompatible wetting and dispersing agent
can lead to many defects like seeding.

4. Rub out (for color mix, or pigment concentrates in a base paint) - In order to check the
flooding, a simple rub out test can be done. After short drying time when the film is nearly
dry, with the finger rub a part of the paint surface. The color should be the same as the
unrubbed part.

5. Storage Stability - Paint samples are stored at cold temperature (-5°C to 5°C) and high
temperature (40°C to 60°C) for one or two weeks and the previous tests are realized, then
the results are compared with the original ones and the sample stayed on the shelves.