Low VOC Dibenzoate Triblend and Dibenzoate Diblend in Exterior Coatings

In 2010, a new low VOC dibenzoate triblend platform was introduced as a coalescent/plasticizer for use in coatings. A basic latex paint evaluation was conducted to determine the utility of the blend platform in interior architectural coatings based on a typical vinyl acrylic, a soft acrylic type used in low VOC formulations, and a harder styrene acrylic type. Two dibenzoate triblends were evaluated versus a standard high volatility type coalescent and a commercial low VOC type coalescent. The data were very positive. One of the blends, K-Flex 975P, was selected for additional study. As only a basic screen in interior formulations was initially considered, it was decided to evaluate the 975P in exterior coatings. The exterior paint evaluation included initial results of fence testing as well as standard paint testing. The paper will provide a review of the initial work and a complete update detailing the results of the testing in exterior paint.