Evonik Expands Defoamer Range with TEGO® Foamex 8420 for Waterborne Inks and Varnishes
Evonik Coating Additives has expanded its portfolio of high-performance defoamers for waterborne formulations with the launch of TEGO® Foamex 8420. Designed to tackle the most demanding defoaming challenges in the production of waterborne inks and overprint varnishes, this siloxane-based defoamer concentrate addresses issues of foam formation that can interfere with the production process and impact print quality.
Overcoming Challenging Foam in Waterborne Formulations
The formation of foam during the production of waterborne printing inks and varnishes can significantly disrupt the coating and ink transfer process. This leads to potential quality issues in the final printed materials. In particular, overprint varnishes and certain pigment grinds tend to contain high levels of foam-stabilizing surfactants like diisooctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS), making defoaming a particularly challenging task. These foam-stabilizing raw materials are resistant to defoaming, and without proper control, they can compromise the quality of the printed product.
TEGO® Foamex 8420 has been specifically formulated to address this problem, providing exceptional defoaming power in waterborne inks and varnishes. It is engineered to efficiently break down foam during production, ensuring that ink or coating transfer remains smooth and consistent, ultimately preventing any disruptions in the printing process.
Superior Long-Term Defoaming Effectiveness
One of the standout features of TEGO® Foamex 8420 is its long-term effectiveness. The product is designed to deliver sustained defoaming performance, ensuring that foam issues do not reoccur during production. This long-lasting effect helps manufacturers achieve a consistently high quality of printing inks and varnishes, reducing the need for frequent adjustments or reapplication of defoamers during production runs.
Additionally, TEGO® Foamex 8420 is highly efficient, providing excellent defoaming results with a low dosage. This makes it an economical solution for manufacturers, reducing the overall cost of production while maintaining optimal defoaming performance.
Broad Food Contact Compliance
Another key advantage of TEGO® Foamex 8420 is its broad compliance with food contact regulations. Many waterborne inks and overprint varnishes are used in applications where food contact compliance is critical, such as in packaging materials. Evonik’s new defoamer meets various global standards for food safety, providing peace of mind for manufacturers who require products that are both effective and compliant with stringent regulations.
A Perfect Addition to Evonik’s Defoamer Portfolio
The introduction of TEGO® Foamex 8420 complements Evonik Coating Additives’ comprehensive portfolio of high-performance defoamers for the ink industry. As Susanne Struck, Global Head of Market Segment Inks at Evonik Coating Additives, explains, “Over the past several years, we’ve developed a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance defoamers for the ink industry. These TEGO® Foamex products offer tailored compatibility, effectiveness, and excellent food contact compliance, in both siloxane-based and siloxane-free options. TEGO® Foamex 8420 is a perfect complement to this portfolio.”
Evonik Coating Additives offers a diverse selection of additives and co-binders for inks, catering to waterborne, radiation-curable, and solvent-borne printing inks, as well as inkjet inks. This wide range of products allows manufacturers to select the best solutions for their specific needs, ensuring consistent and high-quality results across various ink formulations.
Conclusion
With the launch of TEGO® Foamex 8420, Evonik Coating Additives has introduced a highly effective and economical solution to combat foam in waterborne inks and overprint varnishes. This new defoamer offers superior long-term effectiveness, broad food contact compliance, and excellent performance with low dosages, making it an invaluable tool for manufacturers in the ink industry. As part of Evonik’s broader portfolio of high-performance defoamers, TEGO® Foamex 8420 is designed to meet the most demanding defoaming challenges, ensuring that ink production remains efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality.
For more information, customers can visit Evonik Coating Additives’ website to download product details and fact sheets.
bout Evonik
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €15.2 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2,1 billion in 2024. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable, and sustainable solutions for customers. About 32,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life today and tomorrow.
About Specialty Additives
The Specialty Additives division combines the businesses of versatile additives and high-performance crosslinkers. They make end products more valuable, more durable, save more energy and simply better. As formulation experts in fast growing markets such as coatings, mobility, infrastructure and consumer goods, Specialty Additives combines a small amount with a big effect. With its 3,500 employees the division generated sales of €3.52 billion in 2023.
