Reactive diluent

Reactive diluents are substances which reduce the viscosity of a lacquer for processing and become part of the lacquer during its subsequent curing via copolymerization. Reactive diluents are substances which reduce the viscosity of a lacquer for processing and become part of the lacquer during its subsequent curing via copolymerization. Diluents (or thinners) are usually added to lacquers to reduce their viscosity (they are used to adjust the rheology). In thermal cured lacquers, such diluents added are volatile substances which evaporate from the lacquer during drying. In the case of radiation-curing lacquers (for example UV lacquers), those diluents should be avoided. The addition of reactive diluents facilitates the processing of the lacquers, allows the addition of more fillers and improves the wetting behavior on the substrate. If volatile diluents are replaced by reactive diluents, flammability, smell, skin irritation and environmental compatibility (by lower or no VOC emissions) can be improved.