Surfactants

How surfactants work

Surfactants act on the surface of liquids and lower the surface tension of water. In glazing, this helps the glaze spread and wet the tile more evenly, without leaving gaps or bubbles.

Foam, in turn, forms when suspensions are stirred and pumped. Surfactants that act against it keep the bubbles from reaching the tile.

What they are used for

• Improving wetting of the tile during application
• Controlling and removing foam in suspensions
• Reducing defects such as pinholes, craters and poor coverage
• Evening out application with discs, bells and spray guns

Treating the cause of the defect

Pinholes and gaps can have several sources, such as air in the suspension, dust on the tile or a glaze with high surface tension. Finding the source before correcting it avoids trading one defect for another. Because it works with the full glaze formulation, Esmaltec can treat the cause and not only the symptom.

Frequently asked questions

Are surfactants and defoamers the same thing?

Not exactly. Both are surface agents, but a defoamer is specific for removing foam, while other surfactants improve wetting.

Do surfactants work for engobes too?

Yes. They work for any suspension applied to the tile, such as engobes and glazes.