Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Head office: Tokyo; President: Yasuhiko Saitoh) has developed the industry’s first silicone film-forming emulsion for fiber-treatment applications. Such a product has not existed up until now, and it was developed in response to customers’ requests.
The product’s main characteristics are as follows:
1. This new product is a low VOC (volatile organic compound) emulsion that reduced unwanted low-molecular-weight siloxanes, which was not possible in existing silicone film-forming emulsions.
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2. With the existing anionic silicone film-forming emulsion products, the film-forming function could not be added to its cationic composition. Because it is cationic, this new product can add the film-forming function to the cationic component, since it has the same ionicity.
In the fiber-treatment process, often cationic pharmacological agents are used in combination; accordingly, when the new product is used, because it has the same ionic characteristic, its stability becomes excellent in the bath tank treatment process and this leads to an improvement in workability. In addition, compared to the existing products, it exhibits superior adhesion to fibers.
3. This silicone film-forming emulsion does not require the addition of a metallic curing catalyst such as tin (Sn) and only by drying it forms a silicone film. By this means, safety for human health and for the environment is being taken into consideration.
4. In addition to its main applications for fiber treatment, this newly developed silicone film-forming emulsion product will be used as a binder in medical agents such as anti-microbial agents, and top-coat agents for resin-molded products. Shin-Etsu’s new emulsion product is suitable for every application. Accordingly, we will make proposals to our customers for each specific application.
Shin-Etsu Chemical will continue to endeavor to enhance our ability to contribute to the solution of various social and customer issues. We will work toward the achievement of this goal by developing and supplying advanced functional silicone products through making full use of the technological power and knowhow that Shin-Etsu has nurtured up to now, as we strive to further contribute to the realization of the sustainability of society.