Designing Waterborne Alkyds with Polymeric Emulsifier Systems
Formulating stable, high‑performance waterborne alkyds requires more than selecting an emulsifier — it requires the right emulsifier system.
Maxemul™ 7201 provides a robust polymeric emulsifier foundation for the preparation of oil‑in‑water alkyd emulsions. To further optimise performance, it can be combined with secondary Maxemul™ emulsifiers selected according to alkyd oil length and resin polarity.
For long oil alkyd resins, combining Maxemul™ 7201 with Maxemul™ 7101, an advanced polymeric emulsifier, supports effective steric stabilisation of hydrophobic resin droplets while helping maintain key film properties such as gloss and flow.
For short oil alkyd resins, Maxemul™ 7201 in combination with Maxemul™ 7102 offers improved emulsification efficiency for more polar systems, supporting fine particle size and good storage stability.
Alongside emulsifier selection, process control remains critical. Croda formulation guidance highlights the importance of slow, controlled water addition during emulsification, allowing polymeric emulsifiers to fully orient at the oil–water interface and deliver stable, reproducible emulsions.
This modular, formulation‑driven approach enables greater flexibility in alkyd design while supporting consistent performance across a wide range of waterborne coating applications.
The full technical specifications and performance data are available in the latest Maxemul™ 7201 Technical Data Sheet, which can be downloaded [here].