TEGO® Wet Terra
Press Release

September 18, 2024

Evonik launches new biosurfactants TEGO® Wet 570 Terra and TEGO® Wet 580 Terra for coatings and inks

  • Sustainable innovation: 100% natural, readily biodegradable biosurfactants.
  • Excellent performance: Good pigment and filler wetting, improved substrate wetting, reduced grinding time.
  • Environmentally friendly solutions: Suitable for waterborne coatings and inks, EU Ecolabel compliant.

Essen, Germany. Evonik Coating Additives is launching innovative biosurfactants specifically designed for coating and ink formulations. The two new products, TEGO® Wet 570 Terra and TEGO® Wet 580 Terra, are set to transform the paints, coatings and inks industry by combining high performance with an exceptional sustainability profile.

These biosurfactants are produced by microorganisms in a unique fermentation process. Unlike fossil-based surfactants, they are 100% derived from natural resources. Besides having very low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), their natural origin makes them readily biodegradable and well tolerated by aquatic organisms. TEGO® Wet 570 Terra and TEGO® Wet 580 Terra are specifically designed for use in waterborne coatings and inks.

Elias Lacerda, Head of Coating Additives at Evonik, said: “With our TEGO® Wet 570 Terra and TEGO® Wet 580 Terra, we offer our customers completely new high-performance solutions that also drive the green transformation in the paint and coatings industry.”

Their fast wetting of pigments and fillers leads to reduced grinding time and energy consumption, resulting in energy savings and efficient production processes for customers.

Katina Kiep, Head of Decorative Coatings at Evonik Coating Additives, added: “Our TEGO® Wet 570 Terra and TEGO® Wet 580 Terra are suitable for waterborne decorative paints, industrial and transportation coatings and inks. Their unique properties and the fact that they meet the stringent standards of the EU Ecolabel make them an ideal choice for our customers to formulate coatings for a sustainable future.”

The majority of these biosurfactants are produced in Slovakia. Evonik is leading the development of biosurfactants on an industrial scale with its IP-protected, fermentation-based process for the production of rhamnolipids. Rhamnolipids are produced from renewable corn feedstock using a biotechnological process. The result is a high-performance, non-toxic, biodegradable biosurfactant.

“These new products not only demonstrate our strong innovation capabilities, but also our commitment to driving positive change in the development of environmentally friendly solutions and setting new standards for additives in the coatings and inks industry,” added Tim-Frederic Sloot, Head of Sustainability at Evonik Coating Additives.

Benefits for Decorative Coatings

In decorative paints and pigment concentrates, these biosurfactants provide improved wetting of organic and inorganic pigments and act as beneficial co-dispersants. They improve the wetting speed of pigments and fillers, making the grinding step more efficient and reducing time and energy consumption. They support good hiding power performance without compromising film strength. They also help eliminate defects in sensitive binders and increase bio-based content. There is no negative interaction with rheology modifiers.

Benefits for Industrial Coatings

In industrial coatings, TEGO® Wet 570 Terra and TEGO® Wet 580 Terra provide excellent substrate wetting for protective coatings and improve pigment wetting and dispersion. They ensure optimum colour properties, improved storage stability and good corrosion resistance. These biosurfactants also support the anti-crater effect in can coatings.

Benefits for Printing Inks

In printing inks, these biosurfactants improve wetting on a variety of substrates. In the dispersion process they speed up and improve the wetting of pigments and fillers. They contribute to the sustainability profile of the inks by reducing VOC levels and improving the biodegradability of the final product.

Evonik's Coating Additives Business Line offers a wide range of speciality additives for coatings and printing inks. The business has decades of experience in developing products for a range of coatings markets, including decorative coatings, industrial coatings, automotive coatings and printing inks.

About Evonik

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €15.3 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €1.66 billion in 2023. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable, and sustainable solutions for customers. About 32,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life today and tomorrow.

About Specialty Additives

The Specialty Additives division combines the businesses of versatile additives and high-performance crosslinkers. They make end products more valuable, more durable, save more energy and simply better. As formulation experts in fast growing markets such as coatings, mobility, infrastructure and consumer goods, Specialty Additives combines a small amount with a big effect. With its 3,500 employees the division generated sales of €3.52 billion in 2023. 

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.