AppliedProduct selection and comparison are drawn from the owner-authorized Coating Additives Handbook. Verify current TDS/SDS and performance in the intended formulation before use.
Technical challenge
Orange peel, brush marks or waviness remain after application, while a more surface-active additive may introduce craters or recoat problems.
Product selection
Candidates are organized by a supplied technical handbook and the individual published TDS where available. These are starting points for trials, not confirmed equivalents or universal dosage recommendations. Grades without a SITI TDS page are not treated as formally published product profiles.
| Grade / evidence | Relevant system | Selection considerations |
|---|---|---|
| ADDSiL 1232Handbook grade; TDS page unavailable · handbook slide 30Products category ↗ | General coating flow and surface control | Handbook example balancing leveling, slip and compatibility; verify recoatability and foam in the target binder. |
| ADDSiL 3013Handbook grade; TDS page unavailable · handbook slide 30Products category ↗ | Wetting and leveling in selected coating systems | Handbook example for wetting and leveling; evaluate compatibility and water solubility. |
| KOBOND 1353Handbook grade; TDS page unavailable · handbook slide 33Products category ↗ | Non-silicone flow control | General-purpose non-silicone leveling candidate; check compatibility in the actual formulation. |
Leveling-agent selection matrix
The table reproduces product-selection directions from the owner-authorized handbook. Listed grades are screening candidates, not interchangeable products or a claim that every grade has a published SITI TDS. Confirm current documentation and the complete formulation.
| Technology / direction | Handbook-listed grades | Selection trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Medium molecular weight / medium polysiloxane | ADDSiL-1232, 1320, 1411, 1046 | Balanced leveling, slip, compatibility and recoatability; test all four in the target binder. |
| Low molecular weight / medium polysiloxane | ADDSiL-3013, 3008, 3015, 3020 | Wetting and leveling with limited water solubility; compare film appearance and compatibility. |
| Non-silicone / medium polarity | KOBOND-1353, 1362 | General-purpose leveling candidates; compatibility depends on the complete formulation. |
Handbook slides 30, 33
Flow, leveling and visible defects
Flow describes the movement and redistribution of a liquid coating after application. Leveling is the reduction of height differences in its wet surface before drying or curing fixes the film. Spray texture, brush marks and orange peel persist when the film loses mobility too soon. Viscosity, wet-film thickness, evaporation, surface tension and available open time therefore matter together. Craters, pinholes and floating can also arise from contamination or formulation incompatibility, so a defect should not automatically be treated as a shortage of leveling additive.
Interfacial action and controlled compatibility
A surface-active leveling agent can migrate toward the coating–air interface and reduce harmful local surface-tension differences. Its chemistry must allow both dispersion in the formulation and timely enrichment at the surface. If it stays fully dissolved in the bulk, the interfacial effect may be weak; if it separates excessively, haze, craters or poor recoating may result. Silicone-modified, acrylic, silicone-modified acrylic and fluorinated technologies offer different balances of surface activity, compatibility, slip and recoatability. A lower measured surface tension alone does not prove a better final film.
Selecting by the whole coating system
Compare candidates at the same binder, solvent or water composition, pigment package, application method and cure schedule. Watch the wet film and the cured result: texture, gloss, image clarity, cratering, foam, slip and adhesion of a later coat. Polyether content, EO/PO balance, molecular weight and end-group functionality can alter migration and compatibility, but a family-level trend cannot determine the best grade without formulation trials. When a defect is driven by substrate contamination or poor rheology, correct that cause as well.
Formulation guidance
- Separate poor wet-film flow from poor substrate wetting or surface contamination.
- Compare appearance and recoatability after the actual drying or curing schedule.
- Adjust additive level in controlled trials; record foam and cratering alongside leveling.
Troubleshooting
- Wet texture does not relax before cure
- Compare viscosity, wet-film thickness, evaporation and open time before changing additive chemistry.
- Cratering appears after a leveling-agent change
- Check contamination and additive compatibility at the tested concentration; inspect the cured film and recoat step.