Protecting your surfaces

A coating is a type of paint, varnish, lacquer or other finish used to create a protective and/or decorative layer. Colloidal silica is used alone, or in combination with other materials, to improve surface properties such as adhesion and strength of many materials and to offer barrier effects such as heat, ultraviolet and chemical resistance.

The coatings sector may be broken down into industry segments:

• Industrial coatings: wood, metal, plastic films and mineral coatings
• Decorative coatings: paints and coatings applied on-site to new and existing residential, commercial, institutional and industrial buildings
• Marine and steel: protects new and existing commercial ships, offshore oil/gas rigs and equipment, pleasure craft, and other steel products
• Functional coatings: improve friction, printability, mechanical strength, and anti-static properties.

Coatings now tend to be water-based, thanks to increasingly stringent clean air regulations and improvements in waterborne technology. All of our silica sols are waterborne, non-classified chemicals, and are well suited to this environmentally adapted technology.