Why Automotive Refinish Needs Fluorinated Leveling Agents
Automotive refinish coatings are applied over sanded, often contaminated OEM finishes in body shop environments. Craters, fisheyes, and poor flow are the top defects. Fluorinated leveling agents eliminate these by reducing surface tension gradients across the wet film.
BYK-340 / BYK-346 Comparison
| Property | BYK-340 | BYK-346 | SEMITECH C6 Non-Ionic | SEMITECH Fluoro-Acrylate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Fluorosurfactant | Fluorosurfactant | C6 fluorosurfactant | Fluorinated polyacrylate |
| Active Content | ~52% | ~50% | 100% | 50% |
| Surface Tension | 18 mN/m | 20 mN/m | 18–20 mN/m | 20–24 mN/m |
| Anti-Crater | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Recoatability | Good | Good | Good | Excellent |
| PFAS Status | Under review | Under review | C6 legal | Exempt |
| Price (USD/kg) | $60–90 | $55–80 | $20–40 | $25–45 |
Application Protocol
- Add fluorinated leveling agent at 0.05–0.2% during let-down
- Stir 5 minutes at low shear
- No pre-dispersion required
- Compatible with 2K polyurethane, 1K basecoat, and UV clearcoat systems
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