This article covers different areas of application and the
suitability of the different wetting agents in those areas. In
addition, we consider the influence of the wetting additives'
chemical composition on their performance in final application
and give some guidance for the best choice of substrate-wetting
additives. How is Substrate Wetting Defined? Substrate wetting
is defined as the replacement of adherent air at the substrate
surface by a liquid coating or ink material. This process is
essential for successful coating application and printing.
Wetting is especially difficult on low-energy surfaces, i.e.,
substrates with low surface energy or substrates contaminated by
dirty particles or liquid contaminants such as grease. In such
cases, wetting defects can occur, such as crazing or crawling,
or even poor adhesion of paint film. Even when the surface
energy of the substrate is relatively high, wetting may become a
critical factor if highly dynamic application processes are
involved. On fast-running prin