Page 28 - CFCM Mar-Apr 2021_Neat

PAINT & COATINGS MANUFACTURING: MIXING AND DISPERSION EQUIPMENT

MIXING FOR A LOW VOC WORLD

New Equipment Continues to Evolve

nderstanding the science behind
particle dispersion can be compli-
Ucated and take many years to learn
all there is to know about the equipment,
technology and chemical formulations.
Then, new advances change everything.
Fundamentally, dispersion is the distri-
bution and concentration of particulates
suspended in a liquid that remains homoge-
nous with progressively decreasing volumes
insofar as the number of particles per unit
liquid volume is statistically representative,
says CMC, which supplies media mills,
mixers and dispersion equipment.
In the past few decades, regulatory
requirements have prompted the coatings
industry to refine conventional low-solid,
solvent-based formulations and develop
more waterborne systems, high-solids
coatings, energy-curable inks, and other
low-VOC technologies. Along with this envi-
ronmentally responsible shift, the changing
needs of modern businesses and consumers
ushered in developments in formulation
and functionalities.
Now, says Charles Ross & Son Co. (Ross),
which offers mixing, blending, drying and
dispersion equipment, faced with a growing
demand for specialty and high value-added
coatings, manufacturers are taking a closer
look at their processing methods, particu-
larly the mixing and milling steps. Coatings
producers are striving to improve perform-
ance and compliance while managing costs.
In a paper for UL, a global independent
safety science company, Ross says infused
with thermochromic, fluorescent, color-
shifting, rust-inhibiting or other novel prop-
erties, many modern paints, inks and coatings
contain unique combinations of innovative
raw materials. But fundamentally, they
remain formulations that rely on good mix-
ing. The degree of mixing and dispersion
affects a variety of characteristics, such as:
color, gloss, conductivity, stability, adhesion ROSS-CDA-25 with High-Shear-Mixer.
properties, curing rate, and weatherability.
28 CANADIAN FINISHING & COATINGS MANUFACTURING MARCH/APRIL 2021