Chemical Engineering and Processing 41 (2002) 485

www.elsevier.com/locate/cep

Book review
Additi7es for Coatings, Edited by J. Bielemann, WileyVCH, Weinheim, 372 pages, hardcover, 152.36 EUR
Coatings are commonly used to enhance the functionality of manufactured surfaces. Apart from simple
examples like the colour of an object which is covered
by paint, one might also think of more technical aspects
like corrosion resistance, etc. However, to achieve a
coatings functionality there is usually the necessity to
add small quantities of a substance to the coating
material to improve or to modify certain properties of
the finished coating or of the coating material during its
manufacture, storage, transport or application. This is
the definition for a coating additive Johann Bielemann
uses.
As an approach the author suggests the following
classification:
Thickeners
Surfactants
Surface modifiers
Levelling agents and coalescing agents
Catalytically additives
Special-effect additives
Concerning the latter, anti-skinning agents, light stabilizers, corrosion inhibitors, biocides and flame retardants are considered.
This classification corresponds to single chapters.
Each chapter is organized in the same way: First, there
is a small introduction of the problems which cause the

need for an additive and the definitions as well as the

terms used to describe the phenomena. Then, physical
basics by which the problem is characterized are explained in an intuitive way. From the physical problem
the demand on the chemical properties of the additives
is derived and the classes of molecules showing the
required properties are listed. Furthermore, the correlation of molecular structure and physio-chemical properties is explained as well as production processes and
application techniques of the additive are discussed.
Each chapter is closed with a list of commercial products and a detailed reference list.
The scientific discussion of the additives is extended
by two chapters in which a short introduction to aspects of environmental management and quality assurance is given.
The information contained in the book makes this
not only a reference for additives. It is also a good
starting point for everyone who has to gain a deeper
understanding of how additives influence certain properties of a coating. It can be recommended as a suitable
tool for work in the field of coatings.

0255-2701/02/$ - see front matter 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

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Jesko Zank
Institut fur Thermische Verfahrenstechnik,
Uni6ersitat Karlsruhe (TH),
76128 Karlsruhe,
Germany
E-mail: jesko.zank@ciw.uni-karlsruhe.de