Polyether modified silicone oil, a kind of silicone nonionic surfactant, is synthesized by graft copolymerization of polyether and dimethylsiloxane. Its performance can be customized by adjusting the number of silicone oil segments, hydrogen content, the ratio of polyether EO to PO, its segment length and terminal groups to meet the needs of different industries. Polyether modified silicone is often used as an emulsifier, defoamer, wetting agent and leveling agent in coatings.

1. Performance characteristics of polyether modified silicone oil
1. Foam stability: Excellent performance in polyurethane foaming system, providing efficient foam stability.
2. Surface tension: It has low surface tension, giving the product excellent wetting and spreading capabilities, and is suitable for wetting agents or spreading agents.
3. Leveling: Excellent leveling performance, suitable for a variety of systems, effectively improving the leveling effect.
4. Wear resistance and softness: It has excellent wear resistance, softness and anti-adhesion properties, and improves the anti-adhesion properties of polyurethane resin.
5. Emulsification and demulsification: good emulsification and demulsification properties, suitable for oil-water separation in specific occasions.
6. Thermal stability: The high bond energy of Si-O bonds gives polyether modified silicone oil excellent thermal stability.
7. Hydrolyzable type and non-hydrolyzable type: According to the connection method between polyether and silicon atoms, it is divided into hydrolyzable type with poor stability and non-hydrolyzable type with high stability.
2. Polyether modified silicone oil is used as coating additive
As a coating additive, polyether-modified silicone oil can significantly improve the leveling, slipperiness and scratch resistance of coatings through its unique molecular structure and interaction.
1. Used as defoaming agent
Hydrophilic and hydrophobic balance:
By adjusting the ratio of EO and PO units, the balance of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity is achieved, and excellent defoaming and foam suppression properties are obtained.
Environmentally friendly synthesis:
Silicone-based RAFT reagents are used to avoid the use of chloroplatinic acid catalysts to achieve environmentally friendly synthesis.
Performance optimization:
Through the addition reaction of silicone oil with different hydrogen contents and polyether, a series of products with HLB values in the range of 1.3 to 17.1 are obtained. They are compounded with silicone paste and polyether to prepare a defoaming agent with excellent performance.
2. Used as leveling agent
Leveling optimization:
Hydrogen-containing silicone oils of different structures react with allyl polyether to prepare polyether-modified silicone leveling agents with excellent leveling properties.
One-pot polymerization:
The team from Guangdong Light Industry Vocational and Technical College used a one-pot polymerization method to prepare a leveling agent that performs well in water-based coating systems.
3. Innovative applications of surfactants
Highly active emulsifier:
The South China University of Technology team used polyether amines to synthesize polyether amide modified silicone oil and hydroxy polyether amino modified silicone oil, which have extremely low surface tension and provide highly active hydrophilic emulsification effects.
3. Application effects and addition methods of polyether modified silicone oil
1. Leveling and glossiness
Polyether modified silicone oil acts as a leveling agent and slippery agent to improve the leveling properties of the paint and the gloss after film formation.
2. Surface tension and wettability
Added to liquid epoxy resin, the surface tension and wettability are adjusted according to the added amount to achieve the best leveling effect.
3. Adding amount and method
In the final stage of paint production, the amount of addition is determined through experiments depending on the type of paint, which is generally tens to thousands of mg per kilogram of paint. Adding 0.5% polyether modified silicone oil can significantly reduce the friction coefficient of the coating film, increase slipperiness and prevent scratches.