Rheology control additives provide suspension, stabilization and thickening with a wide range of flow properties. Rheology modifiers help to achieve desired rheological behavior, helping to control a variety of characteristics, including shelf stability, ease of application, open time/wet edge, sag, resistance, leveling, settling, film forming, regulation compliance and more.

As a leader in rheology modification technology, Lubrizol offers a broad breadth of rheology control additives and thickeners for improving the performance of paints, coatings, inks and pigment concentrates. We also work closely with customers to continue to develop innovative new technologies that meet ever-more demanding needs. These collaborative efforts have led to the development of new rheology modifiers that deliver unmatched benefits, such as lower dosage levels compared to other thickeners, improved gloss of finished coatings, improved “flop index” when used in metallic basecoats and the prevention of settling of inorganic particles at low dosages—to name a few.

Typical Applications

Lubrizol modifiers are used for a variety of purposes in printing, coating and other technical applications. Solthix™ rheology control agents utilize associative thickening mechanisms to provide efficient sag control, improved leveling and pigment/particle suspension in both ambient and thermally cured applications. The Solthix™ A and T series additives are water-borne alkali swellable thickeners that provide thixotropic (shear thinning) viscosity modification. Depending on the degree of hydrophobic modification, a range of yield values and shear response is achievable.

For non-aqueous applications, Solthix™ acrylic copolymer and Ircogel™ overbased sulfonate gel technologies are available. Solthix™ rheology control agents for solvent-borne paints and coatings improve sag control and anti-settling in pigmented applications. Ircogel™ additives are particularly effective for thermal sag prevention and anti-settling in PVC plastizols and aliphatic solvent and oil-based coatings and inks.

Rheology Control Additives