Applications of Fluorosurfactants Are Based On Their Wetting and Spreading Properties

 

Fluorosurfactants are designed to deliver high performance for surface modification, gloss development, surface wetting, leveling, and use in extreme environments. The exceptional efficiency of fluorosurfactants allows for lower usage levels and lower costs than alternatives. They are used to produce fluoropolymers and has industrial applications in stain repellents and polishes, metal plating, electronics, floor strippers, hard surfaces cleaner, polishes, polymers, adhesives, caulks, graphic arts, wood stains, coatings, paints, waxes, and in oil and gas fields as firefighting foam.

Fluorosurfactants can withstand harsher outdoor environments than conventional surfactants. They are also considered to have greater reflective properties as compared to the traditionally used hydrocarbon surfactants. Fluorosurfactant help improve pigment and substrate wetting and leveling characteristics and provide high open time. Moreover, fluorosurfactants are more suitable and stable for various conditions and are more favored than other surfactants. They are widely used in the paints and coatings industry; as coatings for automobiles, marine, plastics, wood, floor, industrial, and other materials.

Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for fluorosurfactants in the construction industry. Thus, with the rapid growth of the construction industry, the demand for fluorosurfactants is also expected to increase. For example, Germany is Europe's leading construction market and home to continent's largest building stock. Germany’s booming construction industry benefits from a stable economy and investment climate and a progressive focus on energy efficiency that is supported by the market and by the federal government.

Many applications of fluorosurfactants are based on their wetting and spreading properties. The use of fluorosurfactants in numerous other applications has gained traction and has helped in the evolution of the market. Fluorosurfactants are present in large quantities near the surface which have an effect that controls the evaporation speed of solvents and achieves excellent uniform coating properties. The base of every fluorosurfactant is a hydrophobic moiety consists of a perfluorinated alkyl chain.