Surfactants, also known as wetting agents, lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading. The term surfactant is a compression of "Surface active agent". Surfactants are usually organic compounds that contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups, and are thus semi-soluble in both organic and aqueous solvents. Surfactants are also known as amphipathic compounds, meaning that they would prefer to be in neither phase (water or organic). For this reason they locate at the phase boundary between the organic and water phase, or, if there is no more room there, they will congregate together and form micelles. The concentration at which surfactants begin to form micelles is known as the critical micelle concentration or CMC. (Wikipedia encyclopedia)

A second benefit of NIAX surfactants is their excellent performance and processing characteristics. Composed of a proprietary high-efficiency active ingredient, NIAX surfactants produce an open-celled foam with low shrinkage that features smooth skin and reduction or elimination of deep voids. These products offer wide processing latitude to automotive seating manufacturers.

The new family of silicone surfactants supports a range of molded foam types. NIAX L-3415 is designed specifically for MDI molded foam, while NIAX L-3416 is appropriate for MDI foam applications requiring additional stabilization. NIAX L-3417 works with TDI/MDI and modified TDI HR molded foam in applications that require extra stabilization.

“Manufacturers of auto seating and other systems face increasing pressure to support environmentally friendly vehicle design, but are under equally strong pressure to keep costs down,” said Alberto Melle, global marketing manager, Urethane Additives, GE Advanced Materials. “Our new NIAX silicone surfactants address both concerns by allowing manufacturers to cut volatiles in half without cost implications. Plus, these products deliver superior foam quality and consistency. Moving to NIAX surfactants essentially offers a triple advantage to the automotive sector.”

While the automotive sector is a key target, “We expect our new products to find applications across dozens of end products such as foam–backed carpeting, furniture, bedding, and appliances,” Melle added.

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