PRIMIS® SAF 9000: The Easy Way to Remove Stains

No matter how hard you try to remove red wine stains from concrete floors or pencil marks from walls, some residue always remains or part of the wall paint comes off. Wacker's new Primis® SAF 9000 series dispersions solve this problem. This series is specially formulated to prevent dirt and stains from penetrating floors and walls. This results in durable and easily cleaned surface coatings. Whether on walls, floors or terraces. Stains are unwelcome. However, coffee, sauce or oil marks, especially from mineral surfaces like concrete floors, can be difficult to remove; colored pencils and lipsticks can also leave stubborn residues on painted interior walls. To prevent this, protective coatings are increasingly being applied to surfaces. According to MarketsandMarkets, a market research firm, the global market for dirt-repellent coatings was already valued at USD 2.3 billion based on 2015 data. Experts also forecast average annual growth of 6.6% through 2026.

PRIMIS® SAF 9000: A New Series for High Expectations

This specific need prompted Wacker to develop the Primis® SAF 9000 dispersion series. In the past, mineral surfaces were typically coated with epoxy or polyurethane-based two-component systems. However, these could trigger allergic reactions. In contrast, the new acrylate-based Primis® dispersions can be used freely. Since organic solvents or harmful substances such as formaldehyde or isocyanates, or skin allergens such as epoxies are not added in their production, they are more environmentally friendly and compatible compared to traditional products. Concrete floors and self-leveling floor compounds can be easily protected against stains with the liquid dispersions in the new series. Both products have a solids content of 42% and for priming, the applicator only needs to dilute them in water. When the polymer particles dry, they form a film in the concrete pores, preventing dirt penetration. This allows dirt to be wiped away and easily removed. The new dispersions are specially formulated to prevent easy penetration of hydrophilic and oleophilic substances into the film. The average size of high molecular weight polymer particles is below 0.1 micrometers. Because they are so small, rather than covering fine microparticles on the surface, they penetrate into them. This means the mineral appearance of the surface is virtually unchanged and the floor feels the same underfoot.

For Durable Floor Coatings

The special dispersion series currently contains two products: Primis® SAF 9000 and Primis® SAF 9001. Primis® Mineral surfaces are easily processed by applying the products over the surface using a sponge or roller. The PRIMIS® SAF 9000 series dispersions can be applied in diluted or undiluted form according to specific requirements (photo: Wacker Chemie AG). The SAF 9001 product demonstrates improved performance in terms of wear resistance and dirt retention resistance. The polymer's high molecular weight provides another advantage: after curing, the film formed in the pores mechanically strengthens the surface and protects it against wear. This property is an important advantage for floors subject to heavy traffic in stores, warehouses and industrial buildings. Another advantage is that the dispersions penetrate quickly into the floor and therefore become walkable after just one hour. The Primis® SAF 9000 dispersion series is also suitable for processing terrace floors and garden sidewalks. The application quantity and concentration are adjusted according to the absorbency of the mineral surface. Treated surfaces can be easily cleaned with high pressure: even chewing gum or dirty machine oil can be completely removed. Applied simply to mineral surfaces: the dispersion is distributed over the surface with a sponge and becomes walkable as it dries. Multiple coats can be applied if necessary. The first coat should be more dilute to ensure the polymer particles penetrate all small pores. Product development specialists at Wacker conducted numerous experiments in the laboratory. Coffee, balsamic vinegar, bird droppings, cola, salad oil, ketchup and mustard – all of these substances left deep stains on untreated mineral surfaces that even thorough cleaning could not remove. However, when the surface was treated with Primis® SAF 9000 dispersion, dirt was easily and almost completely removed.

Less Dirt Retention and Easy Cleaning for Decorative Paints

Only floors are surfaces that benefit from this new series. Primis® SAF 9000 can also be used in specially formulated easy-clean decorative paints. These prevent various foreign substances – from coffee stains, ketchup and mustard to lipstick, felt-tip pens and pencil marks – from penetrating surfaces. Primis® SAF 9000 also increases wet-scrub resistance, allowing the wall to be wiped repeatedly with a damp sponge without damaging the paint. The surprising resistance of Wacker's new co-binder also demonstrates impressive performance against pencil marks. A pencil mark leaves a small indentation on an ordinary paint layer. Since the new dispersion is a hard and highly resistant polymer, decorative paints containing Primis® SAF 9000 do not show the same effect from pencil marks. Additionally, laboratory tests showed that the Primis® SAF 9000 series not only enables easy-clean paint formulations, but also provides advantages for exterior paints by eliminating vertical, glossy streaks, also known as "snail trails." These marks form when it rains shortly after paint is applied to plaster as emulsifiers leak out. Adding the new Wacker dispersion prevents dissolved salts in the paint from migrating to the surface. Laboratory measurements show that wall paints modified with Primis® SAF 9000 enable complete stain removal (photo: Wacker Chemie AG). The new Primis® SAF 9001 dispersion makes surfaces resistant to stains: coffee and bird droppings leave visible stains on untreated decorative mineral surfaces that persist even after wiping with a damp sponge (left). On coated surfaces (right), both substances can be easily and completely cleaned with a damp cloth (photo: Wacker Chemie AG).

More Brilliance

Primis® SAF 9000 can also be used as a single binder, for example in plasters containing marble dust. The polymer envelops and protects small, usually multicolored quartz sand grains. Since the eye cannot distinguish individual marble dust particles, such a wall appears like marble when viewed from a distance. The new dispersion provides a decisive advantage here as well. It remains transparent when wet. Existing binders, on the other hand, turn white over time as water penetrates the polymer matrix. Because Primis® SAF 9000 contains only small amounts of water-soluble components, "whitening with water" is prevented. As a result, colors retain their full brilliance even when walls are exposed to rain for relatively long periods. The protective coating adheres reliably even when wet. Primis® SAF 9000 is also suitable for application to lime-based "lime mortar" with vibrant colors. The added dispersion effectively protects this high-quality finish against dirt and moisture. The new Primis® SAF 9000 series dispersions ensure walls that always stay clean: as can be seen in direct comparison, the surface on the left is painted with conventional interior paint, while the surface on the right has been treated with Primis® SAF 9000. Even lipstick can be removed from the treated wall with a damp cloth (bottom left), but visible stains remain on the untreated surface even after cleaning (bottom left) (photo: Wacker Chemie AG).

Summary

Due to its special composition, the new Primis® SAF 9000 series copolymers have both water and oil repellency properties. This ensures that the final product resists many different types of stains such as coffee, red wine, oil or colored pencils. Mineral surfaces are easily processed by distributing the products over the surface using a sponge. Abrasion resistance testing in the laboratory: Primis® SAF 9000 series dispersions mechanically strengthen the surface and protect against wear; this property is an important advantage for floors subject to heavy traffic in stores, warehouses and industrial buildings (photo: Wacker Chemie AG). Paint manufacturers demand additives that enable the production of paints with easily cleaned surfaces, are environmentally friendly, odorless and easy to apply. This series also offers advantages by allowing the dispersions to be added to both interior and exterior paints to create wipeable walls and vibrant colors. Therefore, Primis® SAF 9000 series dispersions are ideal for making dirt-repellent surfaces subject to heavy traffic, such as concrete and stone floors, as well as interior and exterior paints. Dr. Martin Schierhorn / Strategic Marketing Manager Dispersions & Resins Division Wacker