Hyperdispersants: "Molecular magicians" that break the dilemma of particle agglomeration
Publish Time: 2025-06-30
In industrial fields such as coatings, plastics, inks, and new energy materials, the uniform dispersion of pigments and fillers is the core link that determines product performance. From the weather resistance of building exterior wall coatings to the conductivity of new energy vehicle battery slurries, from the printing accuracy of high-end packaging inks to the density of 3D printed ceramics, the dispersion quality directly affects the quality and reliability of the final product. However, traditional dispersants often cause particle agglomeration and system instability due to molecular structural defects, which has become a technical bottleneck restricting the development of the industry. The emergence of hyperdispersants, with its unique molecular design and mechanism of action, has become a "molecular magician" to solve this problem.
I. Hyperdispersants: Innovative breakthroughs from molecular structure to mechanism of actionTraditional dispersants rely on a single hydrophilic or lipophilic group to form a single layer of adsorption on the particle surface, which is easily desorbed due to shear force or temperature changes. Superdispersants have achieved a qualitative leap in dispersion performance through the dual-structure design of "anchoring group + solvation chain":1. Anchoring group: "molecular gripper" with strong adsorption at multiple pointsUsing strong polar groups such as carboxylic acid (-COOH), sulfonic acid (-SO₃H), phosphate, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc., to form multi-point anchoring with the particle surface through ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds or van der Waals forces. This design makes the adsorption fastness 3-5 times higher than that of traditional dispersants, and it can remain stable even under extreme processing conditions.Chemical bonding example: DISUPER S series superdispersants form irreversible ionic-covalent mixed bonds on the surface of titanium dioxide through amino and carboxyl mixed anchoring groups. After high-temperature treatment at 200℃ for 2 hours, its adsorption amount only decreased by 8%, while the adsorption amount of traditional sodium polyacrylate dispersants decreased by more than 50% at 150℃.Multidentate coordination application: A phosphate-based superdispersant developed by a certain company forms a tridentate coordination structure on the surface of iron oxide red pigment, which increases the dispersion stability of the pigment in organic solvents by 4 times, and the particle size growth does not exceed 10% during the 30-day storage period.2. Solvated chain: "space guard" of dynamic barrierLong chain structures such as polyacrylate, polyether, and polyester are fully extended in the medium to form a steric barrier layer with a thickness of 50-100nm. This barrier can effectively prevent particles from approaching, and its protection efficiency is closely related to chain length, flexibility and medium compatibility.Precise molecular weight control: Core Chemical's CRP (controlled radical polymerization) technology reduces the solvated chain molecular weight distribution index (PDI) from 2.0 in traditional processes to below 1.2. When used in polyurethane systems, the peak particle size of high-pigment carbon black can be accurately controlled from 120nm to within 70nm, significantly improving the performance of blue-phase black.Environmental response design: A certain intelligent hyperdispersant uses a thermosensitive poly N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM) chain segment. The chain segment stretches below 25°C to provide steric hindrance, and the chain segment shrinks after heating to 35°C, achieving reversible regulation of dispersion-flocculation. This technology has been applied to the paint recycling process, increasing the pigment recovery rate from 65% to 92%.3. Environmental adaptability: a "master key" for full medium coverageBy adjusting the ratio of anchoring groups to solvated chains, hyperdispersants can adapt to a variety of systems such as water-based, solvent-based, solvent-free UV, and high solid content. For example, DISUPER S9100 covers alcohol ether, benzene, and ester solvent systems at the same time, achieving a transmittance of 98% in UV coatings, which is 15 percentage points higher than traditional dispersants.Extreme pH adaptation: A certain sulfonic acid-containing hyperdispersant can maintain stable adsorption in the pH range of 2-12, and has been successfully applied to acidic system electroplating solutions and alkaline system cement additives.High solid content breakthrough: In the diatom mud system with a solid content of 80%, the system viscosity is reduced from 250,000mPa·s to 80,000mPa·s by introducing dendritic solvation chains, achieving a balance between high solid content and low viscosity.II. Industrial application: Value verification from laboratory to production lineCase 1: Masterbatch processing-solving the problem of "flow marks" and "material accumulation"When a well-known lighting company produced PP-based masterbatches, traditional dispersants caused serious extrusion flow marks, and the equipment cleaning cycle was only 8 hours. After introducing SILIMER silicone superdispersant:Dispersion efficiency improved: Under 235℃ test conditions, in the formula with a pigment weight of 80g and a base material PP of 80%, the filter pressure value dropped from 120kPa to 65kPa, and the powder agglomeration phenomenon was completely eliminated. Through SEM observation, the pigment particle dispersion index dropped from 0.45 to 0.18.Extended equipment life: The fluorine-free PPA modified group forms a 0.5-1μm thick silicone film on the surface of the screw, reducing die accumulation by 90% and extending the cleaning cycle to 72 hours. The screw wear was tested for 300 hours of continuous production, and the diameter reduction was reduced from 0.12mm to 0.03mm.Cost optimization: The pigment dosage was reduced by 15% while maintaining the same tinting strength (ΔL*＜0.5), and the cost of masterbatch per ton was reduced by 1,200 yuan. At the same time, the product batch color difference ΔE was reduced from 1.2 to 0.3, meeting high-end export standards.Case 2: Water-based coatings - breaking through the "storage flocculation" technical barriersWhen a certain architectural coating company developed a high-solid titanium dioxide coating, the color paste prepared with a traditional sodium polyacrylate dispersant showed severe flocculation in the hot and cold cycle test. After switching to DISUPER S9100 superdispersant:Storage stability: After 10 cycles of 60℃/5℃ hot and cold, the system viscosity change rate is less than 5%, which is much better than the industry standard of less than 15%. Through rheometer testing, the thixotropic index stabilized from 3.8 to 4.2±0.1.Grinding efficiency: solid content increased from 65% to 75%, grinding time was shortened by 40%, and unit energy consumption was reduced by 22%. Laser particle size analyzer showed that the D90 particle size decreased from 3.2μm to 1.8μm.Paint film performance: gloss increased from 82 to 91, and anti-yellowing increased by 2 levels (Δb* decreased from 1.8 to 0.6), meeting the 10-year weather resistance requirements of high-end engineering coatings.Case 3: Conductive polymers - achieving "nanoscale" dispersion controlWhen a new energy company developed PEDOT:PSS conductive polymers, traditional dispersants caused nanoparticles to agglomerate, and the conductivity was only 0.1S/cm. After using the composite system of CH-11 superdispersant and surface synergist:Particle size control: D50 particle size is reduced from 120nm to 45nm, and the dispersion index PDI is less than 0.2. Through AFM observation, the uniformity of particle distribution is significantly improved.Conductive performance: The conductivity is increased to 1200S/cm, reaching the standard of ITO replacement materials. In the application of flexible display screens, the CV value of square resistance uniformity is reduced from 15% to 5%.Application expansion: Successfully applied to lithium-ion battery conductive slurry, the capacity retention rate of silicon-carbon negative electrode material after 100 cycles is increased from 78% to 92%.Case 4: Ceramic 3D printing-breaking the bottleneck of high solid content slurryWhen a precision manufacturing company developed alumina ceramic 3D printing slurry, traditional dispersants could not take into account both high solid content (>60vol%) and low viscosity requirements. After using the core-shell structure superdispersant CS-3:Rheological properties: At 65vol% solid content, the slurry viscosity dropped from 25,000mPa·s to 8,000mPa·s, and the thixotropic index reached 4.5, meeting the requirements of extrusion 3D printing.Printing accuracy: The interlayer bonding strength increased by 30%, and the surface roughness Ra dropped from 3.2μm to 1.5μm. Through CT scanning, the internal porosity dropped from 8% to 2%.Sintering performance: The standard deviation of sintering shrinkage dropped from 0.8% to 0.3%, and the product size accuracy reached ±0.05mm, meeting the requirements of aerospace precision parts.
III. Technological evolution: the leap from "general" to "customization"With the improvement of the industry's requirements for dispersion accuracy, superdispersants are developing in the following directions:1. Intelligent response typeBy introducing temperature-sensitive, pH-sensitive, and photosensitive groups, reversible regulation of dispersion-flocculation is achieved. For example:Temperature response: PNIPAM-based hyperdispersant developed by a certain enterprise maintains a dispersed state below 40°C, and automatically flocculates after heating to 60°C, with a pigment recovery rate of >95%.pH response: Hyperdispersant containing acrylic acid/acrylamide copolymer adsorbs on the particle surface when pH <7 and desorbs when pH >9, realizing pigment recovery in wastewater treatment.Light response: Azobenzene hyperdispersant undergoes cis-trans isomerization under ultraviolet light, realizing light-controlled assembly of nanoparticles.2. Composite functional typeIntegrates functions such as dispersion, leveling, anti-settling, and toughening into a single molecule. Core Chemical's S35 hyperdispersant simultaneously achieves the following in sealants:Filler dispersion: The dispersion time of fumed silica is reduced from 120min to 45min, and the D50 particle size is reduced from 8μm to 3μm.Thixotropic adjustment: The thixotropic index is increased from 3.2 to 4.8, and the anti-sagging property is increased by 2 levels.Mechanical enhancement: tensile strength retention rate> 95%, modulus increased by 30%, elongation at break increased by 15%.3. Green and sustainableBio-based hyperdispersants use plant oil modified polyester structure, VOC content < 0.5%, and pass EN71-3 heavy metal migration test in toy coatings. For example:Castor oil-based hyperdispersant: in water-based wood coatings, it improves pigment color development by 20%, shortens drying time by 30%, and reduces VOC emissions by 80%.Cellulose nanocrystal hyperdispersant: extracted from waste cotton fibers, it replaces traditional synthetic dispersants in paper coatings, increases paper gloss by 15%, and reduces costs by 25%.Degradable hyperdispersant: polylactic acid-based products have a degradation rate of > 90% in the soil within 180 days, meeting the requirements of food packaging materials.
IV. Molecular engineering opens the era of new materialsAccording to MarketsandMarkets, the global hyperdispersant market will grow from US$1.2 billion in 2025 to US$1.8 billion in 2030, with a CAGR of 8.3%. In emerging fields such as quantum dot display, 3D printed ceramics, and lithium-ion battery slurry, hyperdispersants are playing a key role:Quantum dot display: By precisely controlling the particle size distribution of CdSe quantum dots (D50=5nm±0.5nm), 100% NTSC color gamut coverage is achieved, and color purity is increased by 30%.Ceramic 3D printing: The solid content of Al₂O₃ ceramic slurry is increased to 65vol%, and the density of the printed parts reaches 99.2% of the theoretical value, and the bending strength is greater than 600MPa.Lithium battery slurry: The dispersion time of NCM811 positive electrode material is shortened from 8h to 2h, the viscosity stability of the slurry is increased by 3 times (CV value is reduced from 15% to 5%), and the battery cycle life is increased by 20%.From molecular design to industrial application, hyperdispersants are reshaping the underlying logic of material manufacturing with "nanoscale" precision. With breakthroughs in AI-assisted molecular simulation technology and continuous flow synthesis processes, this industrial revolution led by "molecular magicians" is opening a new era of high-performance materials. In the future, hyperdispersants will develop in the direction of higher intelligence, greener environmental protection, and more functional integration, creating more possibilities for mankind.
