Munich-based WACKER Group is presenting new binders and additives for the paint and surface- coating industries at the European Coatings Show (ECS) in Nuremberg, Germany, from April 21 to 23, 2015. One of the highlights is the new silicone resin emulsion SILRES WH. The product which is based on a new silicone resin can be used as a hydrophobizing wood impregnating agent or as an additive in wood stains. Wood impregnated with SILRES WH is protected against damp, moisture and the subsequent damage caused by fungi and insects for an exceedingly long time. WACKER is also showcasing a binder from its new PRIMIS line for high-value outdoor applications. PRIMIS AF 1000, the line’s first product, combines organic and inorganic components, enabling the formulation of bright, highly durable, exterior paints with reduced dirt pick-up.

At ECS 2015, WACKER will be premiering a silicone resin emulsion for wood protection coatings. Its superior impregnating effect enables longterm protection against damp, moisture and damage from moisture exposure. Marketed as SILRES WH, the product is so flexible that it even bonds to wood surfaces and thus retains the hydrophobic, i.e. water repellent properties typical for silicones for many years. Long-term tests with impregnated wood show that the moisture and damp resistant properties of SILRES® WH are fully intact after 15 years. Silicone resin additives which have been successfully used on mineral substrates for decades can now provide wood with lasting outdoor protection. 

The 50 percent emulsion is based on a functional silicone resin and is suitable as a wood impregnant or as an additive for formulating filmforming, pigmented wood stains. Due to its hydrophobic properties, SILRES WH significantly reduces the water uptake of wood and, as a result, its moisture content. Weathering tests have shown that the silicone resin’s impregnating effect lasts for many years. Thus, wood is better protected against typical damage caused, for example, by fungi, mold and insects or by cracks due to shrinkage and swelling. It is possible to reduce the use of biocides in formulations significantly. In wood stains and coatings, even low amounts of SILRES WH provide a longlasting hydrophobic effect.