| HS Code | 611469 |
| Productname | Silicone Leveling Agent RH-T1010 |
| Chemicaltype | Silicone/polyether-modified siloxane |
| Appearance | Colorless to light yellow transparent liquid |
| Activecontent | 100% |
| Ionicity | Nonionic |
| Viscosityat25c | 100-500 mPa·s |
| Densityat25c | 0.98-1.02 g/cm³ |
| Refractiveindexat25c | 1.410-1.430 |
| Surfacetension | 21-25 mN/m |
| Solubility | Soluble in aromatic, aliphatic, ketone and ester solvents |
| Flashpoint | >100 °C |
| Recommendeddosage | 0.1-0.5% by total formulation weight |
| Shelflife | 12 months in unopened original container |
| Storagetemperature | 5-40 °C |
As an accredited Silicone Leveling Agent RH-T1010 factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Silicone Leveling Agent RH-T1010 is packaged in 25 kg plastic drums with inner liners, suitable for safe chemical storage and transport. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Silicone Leveling Agent RH-T1010 is securely palletized and loaded into a 20′ FCL container for safe ocean shipment. |
| Shipping | Silicone Leveling Agent RH-T1010 is shipped in sealed, properly labeled containers with SDS documentation, protected from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Confirm transport classification against the current SDS; unless otherwise stated, handle as a non-hazardous industrial chemical and follow local shipping regulations. |
| Storage | Store Silicone Leveling Agent RH-T1010 in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat sources, sparks, and open flames. Keep containers tightly closed, upright, and clearly labeled; use original or compatible containers. Avoid freezing and prolonged high temperatures; recommended storage range is 5–35°C. Keep separate from incompatible chemicals, foodstuffs, and drinks. Follow SDS instructions, local regulations, and first-in, first-out stock rotation. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is typically 12 months from manufacture when stored unopened in a cool, dry, ventilated place, away from sunlight. |
Incorporation of RH-T1010 into the acrylic polyol component of a two-component polyurethane topcoat for agricultural machinery addresses cratering from silicone-free defoamer coalescence and orange peel after application at 35–50 µm dry film thickness with HVLP cup guns. The leveling agent is introduced post-letdown into a 200 L vertical stainless steel mix tank fitted with a 3-blade propeller at 300–500 rpm for 15 min. Batch records note that addition before the silicone-free defoamer raises foam height above 5 cm, while addition after defoamer and a minimum 20 min stir avoids visible microfoam in pressure-pot spraying. The acrylic polyol is blended with an HDI trimer at an NCO:OH ratio of 1.05:1, with an induction time of 15 min and a pot life of 4 h at 23 °C. At 0.15–0.30 wt% on total resin solids, RH-T1010 reduces surface tension sufficiently to eliminate fisheye defects on phosphate-pretreated steel without suppressing intercoat adhesion in a two-coat primer-topcoat system. Panels cured for 7 days at 23 °C and 50% RH are evaluated under ASTM D523-14 for 60° specular gloss, ASTM D5767-18 for distinctness-of-image, and ASTM D3359-17 crosshatch adhesion. Class A surfaces require ≥90 GU at 60° and classification 4B or 5B. The terminal film must withstand single-coat recoat after 72 h without sanding; addition above 0.4 wt% leads to a siloxane boundary layer that can reduce recoat adhesion from 5B to 3B under ASTM D3359-17. Finished parts include tractor fenders, engine hoods, and counterweight brackets, where the material is handled as an industrial maintenance coating and is not cleared for direct food-contact use.
The limitation is not surface-tension depression but accumulation of low-molecular-weight siloxane at the cured film surface. In acrylic-melamine coil coating lines, RH-T1010 is added to the pigment grind at 0.08–0.20 wt% on resin solids before mill-base letdown into the final enamel. The substrate is 0.5 mm hot-dip galvanized steel strip moving at 80–120 m/min through a reverse roller coater, with a dry film thickness of 18–22 µm and a peak metal temperature of 216–232 °C for 25–30 s. Topcoat viscosity at the coater is maintained at 60–80 s DIN 4 mm cup. Under these conditions, the agent controls cratering along the coater exit and allows the melt to wet the zinc surface without interfering with HMMM crosslinking. However, when the dosage exceeds 0.25 wt%, the cured film shows an oily interfacial layer that reduces adhesion of subsequent passes of polyurethane foam adhesive or screen-printed identification ink. Production trials evaluated three-level additions and measured adhesion using EN 13523-6 and ISO 2409, with the highest addition falling from cross-cut class 0 to class 3. Gloss was measured per EN 13523-2, and DOI was recorded with a BYK-Gardner Wave-Scan Dual. Storage stability of the mill base at 50 °C for 2 weeks showed no seeding or gloss loss, indicating no adverse reaction with the melamine resin. Finished articles are pre-painted roof and wall panels, fascia boards, and roll-formed rainware, where recoat may occur during on-site touch-up or adhesive bonding.
For waterborne styrene-acrylic trim enamels applied over solventborne alkyd primers, edge crawling and brush mark retention persist even after associative thickener optimization. In 50 L pilot batches, RH-T1010 is added at 0.25–0.50 wt% on total liquid formulation after the HEUR thickener has built low-shear viscosity, using a 4-blade axial flow impeller at 200–300 rpm for 10 min. The addition sequence is critical: if the silicone leveling agent is added before the HEUR thickener, Brookfield RVT viscosity at 12 rpm drops by 10–20% because the hydrophobic siloxane competes for associative nodes in the thickener network. When added afterward, the same formulation retains 95–105% of its target mid-shear viscosity and shows no sagging at 120 µm wet film under ASTM D4400-18. Flow and leveling are assessed under ASTM D4062-11 after drawdown over black hiding-power charts; the 0.4 wt% condition eliminates brush marks after 2 min open time at 23 °C and 40% RH, whereas the silicone-free control retains ridge-like defects. Gloss at 60° per ASTM D523-14 is 88–92 GU in the additive-containing batch. The terminal enamel is used on interior window sash and door casing, where recoatability after 24 h remains acceptable; at 0.75 wt%, peel-free adhesion to an acrylic primer may fall from 4B to 2B under ASTM D3359-17, limiting topcoat use in multi-coat systems.
On corona-treated PE film running at 120–150 m/min, short-wave streaking and skip-dot defects in cyan and black process inks are amplified by divergent dynamic surface tension between anionic polyurethane dispersions and photoinitiator blends. RH-T1010 is incorporated into the ink at 0.1–0.3 wt% of total liquid batch after pigment concentrate dilution, with a 10 min low-shear stir using a stainless steel propeller at 400 rpm; high-speed mixing above 1000 rpm entrains air and stabilizes microfoam in the anilox cells. Ink viscosity before printing is held at 30–40 s Zahn cup 2. Printing is performed on a narrow-web UV flexo press with 800–1200 lpi anilox rollers at 2.0–3.5 BCM cell volume and 60–80 mJ/cm² bridge-cured mercury arc exposure. Under a 5× loupe, dot skip at 4 pt cyan highlight areas resolves at 0.2 wt%, while the unmodified ink shows consistent missing dots. Static surface tension measured by DIN 55660-3 falls from 30–32 mN/m to 21–23 mN/m, but dynamic surface tension at 50 ms is the more reliable predictor of line-speed defect suppression. Above 0.4 wt%, the agent migrates to the print surface after cure and reduces lamination bond strength to an OPP clear film by 20–30% as measured by ASTM F904. The terminal inks are used for shrink sleeve labels and wraparound pressure-sensitive labels; compliance reviews require REACH registration and EuPIA exclusion of listed photoinitiator monomers.
The agent is pre-dispersed at 0.3–0.6 phr into a 50/50 hybrid polyester/hydroxyalkylamide clear powder formulation before feeding into a co-rotating twin-screw extruder with 40:1 L/D and 25 mm bore diameter. Barrel temperatures are set at 95–110 °C from feed throat to die, with screw speed 300–400 rpm and feed rate 15–20 kg/h. Melt temperature at the die is controlled to 110–115 °C; the chill-rolled flake is then ground in a pin mill with classifier speed set to a 32 µm median particle size. Under these conditions, the silicone leveling agent lowers melt surface tension and permits flow-out over zinc phosphate-pretreated steel at 200 °C for 10 min without excessive pinhole formation. Increasing extrusion temperature to 120 °C reduces torque but increases volatilization of the leveling agent, leaving craters in the cured film. Low-micron fines below 5 µm can carry disproportionate silicone concentration and cause surface haze at thin film edges. A systematic formulation gradient is summarized below. Finished panels are tested under ISO 2813:2014 for 60° gloss, ASTM D5767-18 for DOI, and ASTM D2794 for reverse impact. The cured clearcoat is used over white polyester base powder on appliance cabinets and steel shelving, not for direct food-contact surfaces.
| Formulation condition | RH-T1010 (phr) | 60° gloss | DOI | Reverse impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 0 | 92 GU | 62 | 120 in-lb |
| Low addition | 0.3 | 94 GU | 68 | 160 in-lb |
| Mid addition | 0.5 | 95 GU | 73 | 160 in-lb |
| High addition | 0.6 | 93 GU | 69 | 140 in-lb |
Polyaspartic floor sealers over green concrete require surface defect control without blocking the rapid moisture-vapour emission demanded by ASTM F1869-16. RH-T1010 is added at 0.1–0.25 wt% on total resin solids to the polyaspartic ester component before blending with an HDI trimer at 1.5:1 volume ratio. The mixed material is applied with a 3/8-inch nap roller at 100–150 ft²/gal and a wet film thickness of 75–100 µm; gel time at 23 °C is 20–30 min, and the recoat window closes at 4 h. The leveling agent eliminates roller-edge chatter and cratering from concrete dust contamination within the first 90 s after application, but at dosages above 0.3 wt% the cured surface develops a siloxane boundary layer that lowers pull-off adhesion measured under ASTM D4541 from 2.8 MPa to 1.7 MPa when a subsequent urethane topcoat is applied. Gloss at 60° per ASTM D523-14 is 82–86 GU for the sealed concrete, and pendulum hardness reaches 110–125 s per ASTM D4366 after 24 h. Application is withheld when concrete surface pH exceeds 10 or relative humidity exceeds 75%, conditions that accelerate isocyanate-water side reactions and disrupt film formation. The terminal system is used in commercial kitchen floors and pharmacy polishing aisles, with surface incidental contact reviewed against FDA 21 CFR 175.300 only where the sealer is part of a floor substrate not in direct food-processing contact. Published production-line data for this exact polyaspartic configuration is limited; the outlined ranges are drawn from roller-coater trials and technical service records.
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Silicone Leveling Agent RH-T1010 is a polyether-modified polydimethylsiloxane copolymer supplied as a clear to slightly hazy liquid for solventborne, waterborne, and radiation-curable coating systems. The additive reduces air/liquid interfacial tension and is used to control craters, orange peel, brush marks, and surface roughness without forming the persistent low-energy monolayer characteristic of high-molecular-weight dimethylsilicone oils. In as-supplied form, RH-T1010 exhibits a density of 1.02–1.05 g/cm³ at 25 °C measured by ISO 2811-3:2019 and a kinematic viscosity of 250–800 mm²/s at 25 °C measured by ASTM D445-21a. Non-volatile content after 30 min at 150 °C is not less than 95 wt% by ISO 3251:2019. The polyether modification provides controlled compatibility in polar binder systems, while the siloxane segment retains surface tension reduction capacity that typically lowers equilibrium surface tension below 24 mN/m at 0.1 wt% addition in a model 2K polyurethane clearcoat, measured by pendant-drop tensiometry according to ASTM D1331-20.
| Property | Method | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Visual evaluation | Clear to slightly hazy liquid |
| Density at 25 °C | ISO 2811-3:2019 | 1.02–1.05 g/cm³ |
| Viscosity at 25 °C | ASTM D445-21a | 250–800 mm²/s |
| Non-volatile content | ISO 3251:2019, 30 min, 150 °C | ≥95 wt% |
| Refractive index at 25 °C | ASTM D1218-12 | 1.4450–1.4520 |
| Flash point | ISO 3679:2015 | >100 °C |
Compared with unmodified dimethylsilicone oils, RH-T1010 contains polyether grafts that limit the formation of a low-energy, difficult-to-overcoat interfacial layer. Dimethylsilicone oils reduce surface tension to approximately 20–21 mN/m but can accumulate at the coating-air interface and cause recoatability defects when subsequent layers are applied. In contrast, the polyether segments in RH-T1010 anchor into polar binder networks; the resulting surface excess is partially reorientated during film formation and is less persistent after cure. Polyacrylate leveling agents, which generally reduce surface tension only to approximately 27–32 mN/m, require higher addition levels to achieve crater control and often lack sufficient substrate wetting on low-energy surfaces. RH-T1010 occupies an intermediate performance space: at 0.05–0.3 wt% based on total formulation, it provides equilibrium surface tension values near 22–24 mN/m while maintaining recoatability when the addition level remains below the over-addition threshold. The values below are representative class-level data; product-specific confirmation on the target formulation is required because binder type, solvent composition, and cure schedule shift the compatibility boundary.
| Parameter | RH-T1010 | Dimethylsilicone oil | Polyacrylate leveling agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical equilibrium surface tension at 0.1 wt% | 22–24 mN/m | 20–21 mN/m | 27–32 mN/m |
| Recoatability risk at 0.1–0.3 wt% | Low to moderate | High | Low |
| Slip increase | Moderate | High | Low |
| Foam stabilization | Low to moderate | Low | Low |
| Crater resistance | High | High but can self-crater when overdosed | Moderate |
A dosage of 0.1 wt% to 0.3 wt% is charged during the letdown stage of solventborne 2K polyurethane clearcoat manufacture. Addition before pigment dispersion is avoided because the silicone can adsorb onto pigment surfaces and generate stable foam under dissolver shear. In a production-scale high-speed disperser fitted with a 300 mm cowles blade and a peripheral speed between 3 m/s and 8 m/s, the additive is preferably pre-diluted at 1:1 with butyl acetate or xylene and introduced over 5–10 min. This sequence reduces localized concentration spikes that produce surface defects. After 24 h storage at 23 °C, specular gloss at 20° measured by ASTM D523-20 remains within ±2 gloss units of the reference formulation without leveling agent in published comparisons for this additive class. Direct substitution validation on the target formulation is required because pigment dispersion quality, binder molecular weight distribution, and solvent blend affect the observed balance between leveling and haze.
In high-solids epoxy-amine systems with mixed hydrocarbon and oxygenated solvent blends, the diffusion-limited orientation of RH-T1010 can require a post-application flash-off period of 3–5 min at 60 °C before visible leveling is complete. Dynamic surface tension measured by maximum bubble pressure at 1 Hz and 10 Hz according to ISO 19403-3:2017 shows that the additive reduces dynamic surface tension less effectively than low-molecular-weight silicone superwetting agents. Therefore, formulations with very short film open times may require a co-additive wetting agent rather than a higher RH-T1010 dosage. In spray-applied epoxy primer systems, an addition level of 0.15 wt% reduced crater count on steel panels from 5–8 craters/m² to 0–1 craters/m² in published class-level data. Product-specific validation is required because epoxy resin molecular weight distribution, amine hardener type, and induction time before application change the compatibility window and the migration kinetics of the siloxane segment.
Waterborne acrylic-alkyd direct-to-metal primers with initial pH above 9.0 represent a processing boundary for RH-T1010. The additive is pre-diluted in butyl glycol at 1:2 to 1:5 and added under slow agitation after the neutralization step. At addition levels up to 0.2 wt%, equilibrium surface tension measured by ASTM D1331-20 decreases from 36 mN/m to approximately 25 mN/m in a representative waterborne acrylic binder dispersion. Above 0.4 wt%, batch-to-batch variability in pigment dispersion and neutralizer content may produce viscosity drift above 10% of the initial Brookfield viscosity at 25 °C when measured by ISO 2555:2018. Lower shear addition using a top-entry agitator with a pitched-blade turbine rather than a high-speed disperser is preferred because air entrainment can exceed 2 vol% and persist for more than 4 h in formulations containing 0.3 wt% of the additive and high levels of non-associative thickener.
In a representative solventborne alkyd topcoat, a corrective post-add at 0.05 wt% produced crater-free panels when dispersed with a high-shear mixer for 5 min; however, the same dose in a batch with high free fatty acid content produced slight surface haze. This outcome illustrates that the compatibility boundary depends on binder acid number, neutralization level, and pigment dispersion quality, not solely on additive concentration. Production lots with large variations in free acid content should be screened with a panel series at 0.03 wt%, 0.05 wt%, and 0.08 wt% before full production use.
In 100% solids UV-curable urethane acrylate clearcoats, RH-T1010 is added at 0.05–0.2 wt% based on total formulation and incorporated under low-shear mixing before photoinitiator addition. Because the additive migrates to the air-liquid interface, it can affect surface cure in formulations cured under low-intensity UV or nitrogen blanketing. Pendulum hardness measured by ISO 1522:2022 and methyl ethyl ketone double rubs measured by ASTM D5402-19 should be revalidated when the additive is first introduced. Published data for this specific configuration is limited, but class-level studies indicate that addition above 0.3 wt% may lower surface conversion because the siloxane layer delays oxygen diffusion while also reducing the availability of initiating radicals at the interface. The additive does not contain acrylate functionality and does not participate in free-radical polymerization; therefore, the film composition at the top 200 nm, when analyzed by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, may differ from the bulk.
For applications requiring indirect food contact, the formulator must verify specific migration and extractive limits under 21 CFR 175.300 or applicable regional legislation. The as-supplied product is not certified for direct food contact. Heavy metal content is below 10 mg/kg for lead, 1 mg/kg for mercury, and 5 mg/kg for cadmium when analyzed by ICP-OES according to US EPA 3052; confirm current lot-specific data with the supplier because raw material sourcing affects trace impurity profiles.
Recoatability is evaluated by cross-cut adhesion after a 24 h flash period at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity. If the additive dosage exceeds 0.5 wt% in a solventborne clearcoat, the interfacial siloxane concentration can reduce cross-cut adhesion from class 0 to class 2 under ISO 2409:2020 when the subsequent coat is applied without sanding. In one published comparison of polyether-modified siloxanes, a 0.6 wt% level produced wetting failure on a polyurethane primer. Values for RH-T1010 in the target stack should be generated because adhesion performance depends on basecoat formulation, bake schedule, and flash time. The recommended validation panel includes cross-cut adhesion ISO 2409:2020, pull-off adhesion ISO 4624:2016, and surface energy determination by ISO 19403-2:2017 contact-angle goniometry. If the surface energy of the cured basecoat falls below 30 mN/m, recoatability risk increases and intercoat adhesion testing should be repeated with the production flash-time range.
Store in sealed original containers at 5–40 °C. Prolonged exposure to air may increase haze because of moisture uptake. Pre-drying is not required for solventborne systems, but waterborne formulations exposed to relative humidity above 60% should be protected from condensation because water can alter dispersion quality and increase foam persistence. The product is not compatible with strong Bronsted acids or bases; pH values below 3.0 or above 9.5 can hydrolyze the polyether-siloxane linkage and reduce leveling performance. Avoid combination with strongly acidic catalysts and high loads of silicone-reactive amine additives in tin-free 2K systems if pot life is already marginal, because the resulting pH shift can destabilize the binder dispersion and create surface defects.
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