“Innovation in additives enable our customers to be more agile, compliant, and competitive. That’s exactly what these new solutions deliver.” - Tony Moy, Senior Technical Service Specialist — Formulation Additives.
"As global regulations surrounding fluoro containing raw materials tighten, BASF is rising to this challenge by launching six innovative additives that enable our customers to transition from fluoro-containing raw materials while providing superior solutions tailored for today’s regulatory and performance landscape.
Louis Angeles, Global Additives Industry Marketing Manager — North America said the company’s latest offerings include three new defoamers — Efka® SI 2041, Efka SI 2042, and Efka SI 2751 — and three leveling agents, Efka FL 3287, Efka FL 3782 and Efka FL 3787. These cutting-edge products are compatible with a wide array of coating chemistries, including polyacrylate, alkyd, and polyurethane systems. The additives were specifically engineered to meet the evolving demands of industrial coatings across solvent, water-based, and UV curing systems. The Efka FL 3782 even offers cross-functional use in solvent and waterborne systems, equipping formulators with a truly forward-looking toolbox.
Key end-use sectors for these additives include:
• General industrial coatings
• Coil Coatings
• Automotive refinishing
• OEM coatings
• Wood finishes
Efka SI Defoamers
The newly launched Efka SI defoamers are silicone-based and engineered for optimal performance across diverse resin systems. “These defoamers exhibit rapid action and surpass previous generations in foam suppression and stabilization,” Angeles explained. Efka SI 2751 complies with food contact regulations, making it ideal for applications in printing and packaging, where regulatory requirements are particularly stringent. Internal benchmarking tests conducted by BASF have demonstrated that Efka SI defoamers outperform traditional products in both initial foam suppression and long-term stability, displaying faster foam collapse rates and minimal reformation.
Efka FL Levelling Agents
On the leveling front, BASF introduced Efka FL 3287 and Efka FL 3782, with silicone-modified polyacrylate structure that enhances flow and wetting without introducing slip — a critical feature in applications such as automotive and industrial metal coatings, where surface smoothness directly impacts visual quality and protection. As our latest launch, Efka FL 3787 is a leveling agent for solvent-based low to medium end industrial coatings, offering excellent compatibility with different resin types, good in-can foam suppression performance without negative impact on recoat adhesion.
“These agents do more than replace fluoro-containing additives; they don’t contain tin catalyst and aromatic solvents, making them especially appealing to customers focused on addressing environmental and health concerns, regulatory compliance and meeting corporate sustainability goals,” noted Moy.
Since their launch, these PFAS-alternative products have gained traction with early adopters. Global webinars, participation in industry conferences like the ACS (the American Coatings Show) and collaboration with distribution partners have raised awareness, while BASF’s technical support ensures that customers can efficiently evaluate and integrate these innovative solutions. Many customers who previously relied on PFAS-based additives have successfully transitioned to BASF’s alternatives, achieving equivalent or even improved performance in real-world applications.
“This is just the beginning,” added Angeles. “As our customers evaluate these new additives, they discover that they don’t have to compromise on performance to achieve compliance.”
As a leading provider in the coatings industry BASF introduces solutions that help our customers comply with evolving environmental regulations and at the same time enhance their formulation flexibility.
The shift away from fluoro-containing additives underscores BASF’s long-term commitment to sustainability and innovation, and we are preparing to incorporate in our portfolio another high-performance leveling agent for Wood and Refinish markets.
For more information about our alternative additive portfolio, please contact BASF.