Rain marks, also known as snail trails, can easily ruin the appearance of a nicely painted wall and
lead to higher costs and maintenance efforts. How to prevent them is thus one of the main concerns
in the industry, especially in dark colors. To address the high demand for cleaner exterior coatings in
Asia Pacific, BASF (basf.com) has developed the innovative EC-Lock technology for the newly
launched Acronal® PLUS 7018 dispersion, notes a press release from the company. It minimizes rain
mark formation while improving color retention.
“As a pioneer in architectural coatings, BASF has developed new rain-mark resistant solutions to
improve the aesthetic properties of exterior coatings significantly. Our innovations facilitate the use
of vibrant dark colors on residential and commercial buildings without worrying about rain marks,”
said CheeSeng Yong, Head of Regional Marketing, Polymer Dispersion for Architectural Coatings Asia
Pacific.
Formation of rain streaks is mainly caused by the migration of excipients, one of the components of
paints. When using conventional coatings, rain and water will dissolve the excipients and carry them
to the surface of the coatings, which then causes rain marks. The EC-Lock Technology from BASF
improves the early film resistance by crosslinking and minimizing water penetration to prevent snail
trail formation.
For advanced “near-zero” rain mark performance, BASF also offers a solution pack with
Acronal® PLUS 7018 and the dispersing agent Dispex® CX 4231, marketed as EC-Lock+ technology. To
achieve “near-zero” rain mark performance, BASF’s EC-Lock+ Technology interlocks excipients to
stop them from migrating to the surface. Its pronounced hydrophobic character reduces water
uptake to avoid excipients shifting to the surface. As a result, rain marks will be minimal, and the
color of the coatings remains vibrant and fresh for a longer period.
Acronal® PLUS 7018 will be produced across the region, including Shanghai, China, Mangalore and
Dahej, India, Cengkareng in Indonesia, and Pasir Gudang in Malaysia.