Evonik Launches TEGO® Wet 288 for Substrate Wetting of Waterborne and Radiation-curing Formulations
- Published: April 15, 2025
Photo courtesy of Evonik
Evonik Coating Additives has developed TEGO® Wet 288, a unique substrate wetting additive designed to address the challenges of waterborne and radiation-cured formulations.
Traditional silicone based wetting additives often lose effectiveness in high pH aqueous formulations during long-term storage or negatively impact reprintability and glueability in radiation-cured formulations. TEGO® Wet 288 overcomes these limitations.
“We developed this innovative technology through close collaboration with our customers,” said Kai Yang, Project Manager and Head of Applied Research & Technologies Americas INKS at Evonik Coating Additives. “Our TEGO® Wet 288 shows a performance profile that was previously thought to be unattainable.”
In waterborne inkjet inks, TEGO® Wet 288 significantly reduces surface tension and maintains its effectiveness over extended periods, outperforming competing technologies. In radiation-cured inks and varnishes, it delivers strong surface tension reduction and wetting while preserving reprintability and glueability.
Besides this excellent performance TEGO® Wet 288 also provides excellent food contact compliances which allow for the use of this hydrophobic surfactant also in food packaging applications.
Furthermore, TEGO® Wet 288 provides broad food contact compliance, making it suitable for use in food packaging applications. This hydrophobic surfactant expands the possibilities for formulators.
“TEGO® Wet 288 is the perfect addition to our comprehensive portfolio of solvent-free, high-performance additives for waterborne and UV-cured inks and varnishes, all of which feature broad food contact compliance," said Susanne Struck, Global Head of Market Segment INKS at Evonik Coating Additives.
Evonik's Coating Additives business offers a comprehensive portfolio of co-binders for inks, along with a wide range of additives for waterborne, radiation-curable, solventborne, and inkjet printing inks.
