GARAMITE Additives: Mixed Mineral Thixotrope

BYK USA’s GARAMITE additives were designed to answer the rheological needs of industries that use fumed silica as their primary thixotrope (becoming more fluid-like when agitated). These efforts resulted in the creation of Mixed Mineral Thixotrope (MMT) technology (patent issued to BYK USA).

The minerals mixed in MMT promotes particle spacing which creates a product that disperses very easily. GARAMITE is not a newly released product, but it remains one of the top products of its kind on the market of its quality and performance.

GARAMITE Advantages

There are substantial advantages to replacing fumed silica with a GARAMITE product. GARAMITE has a higher bulk density. This means there is less dust during handling; it takes up less storage space, and requires a lower order frequency.

GARAMITE is easier to incorporate into a resin and solvent. It is typical 30-40% more efficient than other common thixotropes causing the cost of formulation to drastically decrease. It has a higher sag and slump resistance and improves the performance viscosity ratio.

GARAMITE can be used to create high solids and 100% solids that are environmentally compliant. The addition of GARAMITE additives will not impact the performance of the formulation because it will not significantly impact viscosity.

GARAMITE in Coatings Applications

GARAMITE additives provide high performance in coatings systems without increasing viscosity. It has up to double the sag resistance of fumed silica at a lower viscosity. In fact, it offers the highest sag to viscosity ration of any thixotrope on the market today.

After application, GARAMITE additives enable coatings to be applied to vertical or inclined surfaces without running or dripping. Heavy coating weights can also be applied to molds or surfaces without fear of slump or sag.

Overall, GARAMITE additives provide better performance, are less expensive, and are easier to incorporate. Have questions about how a GARAMITE additive may be the right fit for your formula? Contact our chemists today!

Hall Technologies, Inc. thinks differently about specialty chemical distribution. Our technical lab offerings and technical knowledge set us apart as technical leaders. Applications and performance testing in our lab give our customers and supplier partner an upper hand in formulation. We are located in St. Louis, Missouri, and serve the Midwest, Upper Midwest, Southwest, Southeast, and Ohio Valley.