The Application of Zirconia Beads in Coatings
Zirconia beads are spherical particulate materials widely used in coatings. Their functions include reducing costs, increasing solid content, enhancing performance, and improving process operating conditions.
- Reduce Viscosity and Increase Fluidity
Compared with other irregularly shaped fillers, zirconia beads roll easily like steel balls between bearings. With high specific gravity, easy rolling, and high kinetic energy, zirconia beads reduce the formulation viscosity, increase fluidity, and improve sprayability.
- Gloss Control
Many gloss-controlling materials tend to increase viscosity. However, the use of zirconia beads can significantly reduce gloss without substantially increasing viscosity.
- High Hardness and Wear Resistance
Zirconia beads have high hardness and wear resistance, making the surface of paints and coatings hard and scratch-resistant. The long-lasting, like-new surface saves you the cost and time of maintenance and repainting. If traditional fillers are used, soft or irregular particles will cause the surface to wear or crack quickly.
- Higher Filling Capacity and Cost Reduction
Compared with fillers of other shapes, zirconia beads have an extremely small surface area-to-volume ratio. This can reduce the usage of resin, increase the dosage of fillers, and the smaller-sized microspheres fill the gaps between larger-sized microspheres, thereby increasing solid content, reducing VOC, and lowering costs.
- Effective Barrier
The dense, hard, wear-resistant, and inert particles make the formulation highly durable and low-permeable, forming an effective barrier against harsh weather and chemical corrosion.
- Stability
Since their composition is inert ceramic, zirconia beads can resist erosion by various chemicals.
- Low Equipment Wear
Due to their high compressive strength, zirconia beads are added during production and grinding. To improve dispersion effect, sand grinding, ball milling, and roller pressing are all applicable. Compared with using other fillers of the same or lower hardness, the use of zirconia beads causes less wear to the equipment.
- Radiation Curing
Zirconia beads are transparent to ultraviolet (UV) light below 25nm. UV energy can penetrate the entire coating, helping to achieve deep curing of UV-curable coatings and improve construction efficiency. For the application of electron beam (EB) curable coatings, zirconia beads can increase viscosity and control fluidity.