Abstract The effective dispersion of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) in waterborne coatings is essential for optimizing optical properties such as opacity. Traditional dispersing agents often fail to fully stabilize inorganic pigment particles and may increase the water sensitivity of the final film due to their hydrophilic nature. This study explores the use of functionalized polymer particles as an alternative to conventional dispersants. Polymer particles of varying size and functionalities were evaluated to assess their influence on TiO 2 disaggregation and dispersion. This effect was directly analyzed in a conventional waterborne coating formulation. The polymer particles used as dispersants also form the polymer matrix during film formation. Results indicate that a functionalization of the particles is needed to enhance pigment dispersion when no conventional pigment dispersant is used. Interestingly, the obtained optical performance of the coating depends on the binder composition. Regardless of the functionality of the polymer particles used, the resulting films exhibited reduced water sensitivity.
Beldarrain et al. (Wed,) studied this question.