As sustainability remains a top priority in the coatings industry, businesses are increasingly seeking eco-friendly solutions to meet their needs. BASF’s Sovermol® product line responds to this demand by offering advanced bio-based polyol solutions derived from renewable materials such as rapeseed, soybean, and castor oils. These innovative solutions contribute to a significant reduction in carbon footprints compared to traditional acrylic or polyether polyols. The Sovermol product line provides a diverse range of performance properties in 100% solids, low viscosity form, making it an excellent choice for a wide array of applications.
Exploring Key Performance Areas
Sovermol products are 100% solids at low viscosity, making them ideal for low VOC (volatile organic compound) or even 100% solids systems, enhancing their environmental impact while also ensuring excellent performance across various industrial applications.
Concrete Flooring: Sovermol products are particularly suited for concrete flooring, excelling in self-leveling coatings that deliver a smooth, durable surface with high chemical and water resistance. *Based on performance requirements, both aromatic and aliphatic isocyanates, like BASF’s Basonat® product line, can provide a range of performance properties from flexible wear layers to rigid, weatherable topcoat systems.
Adhesive Applications: In adhesive applications, Sovermol products create strong, reliable bonds. Leveraging the Sovermol bio-based polyols, these adhesives offer robust performance with high hydrophobicity, making them ideal for a wide range of industrial and commercial uses.
Polyurethane Foams: Sovermol products enhance polyurethane foams by providing insulation properties, hydrophobicity and ease of application.
Protective Coatings: Sovermol products perform effectively in both weatherable and non-weatherable protective coatings at high solids. They can also function as reactive diluents in traditional 2K Polyurethane (PU) systems serving as modifiers for acrylic polyurethanes in low VOC applications. These products provide robust resistance to environmental factors such as UV radiation, moisture, and temperature fluctuations. When formulated correctly, they offer adhesion to metals for direct-to-metal (DTM) applications. This versatility makes them ideal for protecting surfaces exposed to harsh outdoor conditions and for indoor applications where durability is crucial.
Product Highlights
SOVERMOL 750: This versatile weatherable polyol is designed to deliver high performance in demanding applications. It excels when used in combination with aliphatic isocyanates, such as Basonat HI 2000 NG, to achieve superior chemical resistance and weathering properties. This makes it an excellent choice for coatings that need to withstand harsh environmental conditions and chemical exposure.
One of the standout features of Sovermol 750 is its ability to be emulsified for cementitious 3K applications. This capability allows for seamless integration into cement-based systems, enhancing their durability and overall performance.
SOVERMOL 805: A high-performance, bio-based polyol, Sovermol 805 is widely regarded as a workhorse for its exceptional performance in demanding industrial applications. It delivers consistent and reliable performance in coatings, adhesives, and sealants. When combined with aromatic isocyanates, it forms highly crosslinked structures that offer excellent chemical resistance, mechanical strength, and long-term durability. These properties make it ideal for environments exposed to harsh chemicals, abrasion, or thermal stress, extending service life and reducing maintenance needs.
SOVERMOL 1092: This polyol is recognized for its low viscosity, making it suitable for formulations requiring easy application and good flow properties. Sovermol 1092 delivers high hardness and elasticity, making it comparable to epoxy systems, while providing good self-leveling properties and hydrophobicity. It demonstrates excellent adhesion over metals like aluminum and steel, making it suitable for low VOC, solvent-borne 2K DTM coatings.
SOVERMOL 1058: This non-reactive diluent is designed for use with isocyanates in 1-part and 2-part polyurethane coatings. It is bio-based, solvent-free, and hydrophobic, making it an excellent plasticizer for polyols. When combined with base polyols like Sovermol 805, Sovermol 1058 helps decrease viscosity and improve processing properties in 2K PU systems. Common applications include industrial coatings, marine transportation coatings, and protective maintenance applications.
SOVERMOL 1102: This high-performance, slightly branched polyether/polyester polyol is designed for use with isocyanates in 2-part polyurethane coatings. As a reactive diluent, it reacts with isocyanates to form a cross-linked network, reducing viscosity and prolonging gel time for better workability. Sovermol 1102 is bio-based, solvent-free, and hydrophobic, offering UV stability and excellent processing properties. Its unique formulation enhances the mechanical and chemical properties of the final coating, ensuring durability and performance.
Q&A with Technical Manager Kyle Flack
Q: "What recent innovations or product enhancements in the Sovermol line are you most excited about?"
A: Interestingly, I’m most excited about utilizing the current portfolio in a broader application space. There are products within this line that already offer sustainability coupled with higher performance and we are just beginning to realize their full potential. One recent focus has been on enhancing the global availability of the workhorse Sovermol 805 through the introduction of Sovermol 805ap, supplied from India, which gives us an edge into the global supply chain.
Q: Are there any emerging applications of the Sovermol product line that you find particularly promising?
A: These products were built primarily with concrete coatings in mind, focusing on the ability to create 100% solids with self-leveling, however their application has certainly expanded based on new market areas like EV battery manufacturing. We’re particularly looking at conformal coatings for electronic chips and resistive coatings that are so important to the safety of the battery. Strong adhesion and hydrophobicity at 100% solids also make Sovermol products attractive for adhesives in this space. Another interesting application is blending with other polyols, using Sovermol products as reactive, weatherable diluents to reduce VOC of protective coatings. We have evaluated Sovermol 1092, Sovermol 750 and Sovermol 780 in combination with products like Joncryl® RPD 980-B and Basonol® HPE 1170 B to provide low VOC (even 100 g/L) systems with high performance.
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