Test Verification｜Performance of DIS‑8104S Dispersant versus BYK‑104S in Solvent‑Borne Industrial Coating Systems

In coating formulation development, anti‑floating & anti‑flooding wetting‑dispersing agents directly govern key performances including mill‑base viscosity reduction, grinding efficiency, color paste storage stability, floating/flooding and rub‑out color difference. Coating formulators are constantly seeking cost‑effective, well‑balanced dispersant products.

We have conducted a systematic comparative test between domestic DIS‑8104S and industry benchmark BYK‑104S within the AC1023 solvent‑borne industrial resin system. Can DIS‑8104S serve as a viable import substitute? Lab test data gives the answer.

Why Carry Out This Comparative Test?

Anti‑floating and anti‑flooding wetting‑dispersing agents are essential additives for medium‑to‑high polarity solvent‑borne coatings. Their core functions are as follows:

• Reduce mill‑base viscosity of complex‑color pastes and guarantee grinding productivity
• Balance movement discrepancy between titanium dioxide and organic pigments via weak pigment‑pigment interaction to mitigate floating and flooding
• Suppress pigment sedimentation, retard flocculation and re‑coarsening, and improve color‑paste storage stability
• Alleviate rub‑out color difference and PET‑film front‑to‑back color difference to ensure uniform film color

As a well‑recognized benchmark, BYK‑104S delivers mature anti‑floating & anti‑flooding performance for multi‑color coatings. Nevertheless, coating manufacturers are troubled by high import prices and unstable supply lead times. This test evaluates DIS‑8104S from viscosity reduction, storage stability and film color‑difference dimensions using a blue multi‑pigment formula.

Test Protocol for Scientific Evaluation

1. Test System

AC1023 solvent‑borne industrial resin system with TiO₂ + phthalocyanine‑blue mixed pigment blue paste, simulating real‑world multi‑color industrial coating production.

2. Formulations

Mill‑base Formula (Blue Color Paste)

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Blue Top‑coat Formulation

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3. Test Items

• Mill‑base viscosity: Evaluate viscosity‑reduction & dispersion efficiency
• Grinding fineness: Indicate actual pigment dispersion status
• Draw‑down hue: Basic color performance of coating film
• Rub‑out color difference (△E): Assess anti‑floating & anti‑flooding capacity
• PET‑film front‑back color difference: Evaluate color uniformity during application
• 48‑hour room‑temperature storage stability: Check phase separation, sedimentation and whitening floatation

Test Results & Analysis

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1. Viscosity reduction & grinding fineness: Comparable performance DIS‑8104S shows mill‑base viscosity of 3128 cp versus 3256 cp for BYK‑104S. Both achieve grinding fineness ≤15 μm. DIS‑8104S provides excellent wetting and dispersing effect for TiO₂‑phthalocyanine‑blue blends. No special grinding‑process modification is required for regular production.
2. Coating‑film color‑difference performance: Trade‑offs with minimal visual distinction Lower rub‑out △E means better anti‑floating performance. BYK‑104S achieves rub‑out △E of 0.44, outperforming DIS‑8104S (△E = 0.96). Visual inspection shows nearly identical bluish hue for both samples. For PET‑film application, DIS‑8104S delivers superior color uniformity with △E = 1.17 against BYK‑104S at 1.43. Although DIS‑8104S has higher rub‑out color‑difference values, the deviation stays within practically acceptable ranges for non‑ultra‑stringent requirements.
3. Color‑paste storage stability: BYK‑104S shows milder phase separation After 48‑hour room‑temperature ageing, severe surface whitening occurs in blank samples, which is greatly suppressed by adding either dispersant. Both generate soft sediment, while DIS‑8104S exhibits slightly more obvious phase separation. Tip: anti‑settling additives or adjusted dispersant dosage can mitigate this risk.

Comprehensive Evaluation: Is DIS‑8104S Worth Selecting?

✅ Viscosity‑reduction efficiency: Comparable to BYK‑104S ✅ Grinding fineness: Equivalent for manufacturing △ Rub‑out color difference: BYK‑104S performs better; DIS‑8104S shows negligible visual color deviation ✅ PET‑film front‑back color difference: DIS‑8104S delivers better results △ Storage stability: Soft sediment for both; DIS‑8104S has more noticeable phase separation

Main Conclusion Within the tested AC1023 solvent‑borne blue multi‑color system, DIS‑8104S offers pigment wetting‑dispersing performance comparable to BYK‑104S with minor visual color deviation and better PET‑film color uniformity, yet lags in rub‑out control and storage phase‑separation resistance.

DIS‑8104S qualifies as a potential BYK‑104S substitute for solvent‑borne multi‑color industrial coatings without extreme requirements on long‑term storage and rub‑out performance. For formulas demanding long shelf‑life and strict anti‑floating control, formula tuning and thorough lab pre‑testing are mandatory.

Application Recommendations for DIS‑8104S

Suitable Scenarios

• Medium‑to‑high polarity solvent‑borne industrial coatings
• Multi‑color pastes & coatings compounded with titanium dioxide and organic pigments
• Formulations targeting import‑dispersant replacement and raw‑material cost reduction

Operation Guidance

• Dosage: Refer to typical BYK‑104S loading; run gradient tests optimized for pigment types and ratios.
• Feeding: Add at grinding stage for optimal wetting‑dispersion outcome.
• Formula switching: Always complete lab pre‑validation covering storage stability and rub‑out performance when replacing BYK‑104S with DIS‑8104S.
• Storage improvement: Incorporate anti‑settling additives or fine‑tune dispersant dosage if excessive phase separation emerges.

Domestic‑supply Advantages

• Reliable local stock and controllable delivery lead‑time
• Competitive pricing to cut raw‑material expenditure
• Fast‑response domestic technical support for formula troubleshooting