| Code | Benchmark | SB/WB/UV | Application characteristics |
Leveling agent are surface-active additive added to paints, coatings, and inks to enhance flow, reducing defects like orange peel, brush marks, and craters. By managing surface tension and promoting uniform drying, they ensure a smooth, high-gloss surface. They work in waterborne, solvent-borne, and UV systems to improve appearance and substrate wetting. | |||
| SS-303 | BYK-333(compatibility enhanced) | S/W/UV | Silicone-based, polyether-modified polydimethylsiloxane surface additive widely used in solvent-free, solvent-borne, and aqueous coatings to significantly reduce surface tension. As silicone leveling agent, it enhances substrate wetting, improves leveling, increases surface slip, and prevents cratering without increasing foam, offering excellent compatibility across all paint systems |
| SS-304 | BYK-333(slippery enhanced) | S/W | Silicone-based, polyether-modified polydimethylsiloxane surface additive widely used in solvent-free, solvent-borne, and aqueous coatings to significantly reduce surface tension. As silicone leveling agent, it enhances substrate wetting, improves leveling, increases surface slip, and prevents cratering without increasing foam, offering excellent compatibility across all paint systems |
| SS-305 | Tego-450,BYK307 | S/W | Excellent flow and leveling agent combined with strong slip properties. It is re-coatable and can be used in solvent and waterborne coatings. It is used in car OEM-, car repair-, architectural-, wood-, plastic-, can-, coil-, decorative-, general industrial coatings and printing inks |
| SS-308 | Dow Corning- 57 | S/W | 100% active concentration nonreactive silicone glycol copolymer surfactant. As leveling agent, it provides slip, gloss enhancement, pigment treatment and leveling for ink and coatings applications. This product is compatible with acrylic, alkyd, amide, epoxy, nitrocellulose, phenolic, polyester, polyurethane and vinyl systems. |
| SS-313 | Tego-410(compatible enhanced) | S/W | Flow/ leveling agent, and slip additive for water-borne, radiation-curing and solvent-borne formulations. Used in wood and furniture coatings, industrial coatings, overprint varnishes, printing inks and decorative coatings. Offers improved scratch resistance. Prevents and eliminates craters caused by contamination, patchy matting and surface irregularities in solvent-borne formulations through controlled orientation of the matting agent. Provides additional anti-blocking effect. Exhibits outstanding effectiveness in high-solids formulations. Imparts anti-crater effect, good clarity in varnishes & anti-blocking/release effect, and fair flow promotion. It also improves scratch resistance as well as prevents cratering, pigment flooding and flotation |
| SS-321 | Dow Corning-3667 | S/W | Block co-polymer that can be added to organic components to improve surface properties. One of the applications is in organic lubricant formulations for synthetic fiber processing, where it acts as a wetting agent. Furthermore the glycol group imparts antistatic properties. Due to its solubility in water, it can easily be scoured. When used as an additive in organic textile coatings, it imparts anti-blocking and softness. It also improves the mar resistance of certain coatings. The end blocking glycol contains an active hydroxy group, which is reactive with organic polymers like polyurethane. |
| SS-377 | BYK-377(Anti-stick) | S/W | Polyether modified polydimethylsiloxane. Acts as a silicone based surface additive for radiation curable systems. Substrate wetting, and leveling agent at low dosages(In most cases only half the amount of a conventional silicone is needed). Provides good surface slip and tape release. Exhibits strong reduction in the surface tension. Especially recommended for inks on high speed printing machines. Due to its good compatibility in common binder systems, the production of highly transparent overprint varnishes is possible. Used in UV-curable, solvent-borne and aqueous coatings, and in flexo inks, screen inks, offset inks, and overprint varnishes. |
| SS-315 | Tego-1484(Flooring use) | S | Acts as a deaerator and flow/ leveling agent. Exhibits excellent degassing, re-coatability and slip effect. Designed for solvent-borne and solvent-free (2-pack) formulations in floor, anti-corrosion, industrial, wood and furniture coatings. Used in varnishes, and fair anti-blocking/release & anti-crater effect. Prevents cratering, pigment flooding and flotation. |
| SS-316 | BYK-3510 | S/W/UV | Polyether modified polydimethylsiloxane. Acts as a surface additive for UV curing printing inks and overprint varnishes. Offers improved substrate wetting, tape release and leveling. Provides increased surface slip. Especially recommended for fast running application machines. Exhibits good compatibility with common binders, due to which the production of highly transparent varnishes is possible. Used in UV-overprint varnishes. |
| SS-3235 | BYK-323(Directional arrangement) | S | Polymethylalkyl-methylaralkyl-siloxane. Acts as a silicone based flow and leveling agent for solvent-borne coatings. Offers improved flow and leveling. Displays partial defoaming properties. Exhibits no or only slight foam stabilization. Does not increases intercoat adhesion when overcoated. Possesses heat resistancy upto 250°C. Orients the flatting agent in flat topcoats and in multi-coat systems. Prevents the formation of Bénard cells. Used in industrial and wood & furniture coatings. |
| SS-20907 | BYK-310 | S | Silicone-containing surface additive for ambient curing plastic systems with a strong reduction in surface tension. This highly effective additive is thermostable up to 410 °F. It is a solution of polyester-modified polydimethylsiloxane. Recommended for improving the substrate wetting of ambient-curing epoxy-based resin systems and critical substrates. The recommended level is 0.05-0.3 % additive (as supplied) based upon total formulation. |
| SS-808W | Levaslip 810, Tego-432, AFCONA-3033 | S/W/UV | Good slip and substrate wetting agent. It is recommended for radiation-curable coating. It is used in architectural-, furniture-, wood-, can-, coil-, decorative-, general industrial coatings, litho-prints, overprint varnishes and printing inks. |
| SS-300 | BYK-300 | S | Solution of a polyether modified dimethylpolysiloxane. Acts as a silicone based surface additive for coatings. Provides a medium reduction of surface tension. Prevents formation of Bénard cells. Provides better substrates wetting. Exhibits increased surface slip and act as levelling agent. Offers increased anti-blocking properties and improved gloss. Used in solvent-borne, solvent-free coatings. |
| SS-331 | BYK-331 | S/W/UV | Polyether modified dimethylpolysiloxane copolymer. Acts as a silicone based surface additive for solevnt-borne, aqueous, and UV-curable systems. Provides improved substrate wetting. Imparts increased surface slip. Exhibits improved anti-blocking properties. Avoids the formation of Bénard cells. Act as leveling agent. Offers a medium reduction of the surface tension of paint systems. Used in solvent-borne, aqueous and UV-curable printing inks and overprint varnishes. |
Explore our paint and coating additives catalog features high-performance solutions for aqueous, solvent-borne, and solvent-free systems, including:
- Wetting & Dispersing Additive: Ensuring fine, homogeneous distribution and long-term stability of pigments and fillers
- Defoamers and Air Release Agent: Preventing foam bubbles for perfect surfaces and improved processing
- Rheology Additive: Precisely adapting viscosity profiles and preventing defects like cratering or flooding
- Surface and Leveling Agent: Improve substrate wetting, increase surface slip, and prevent defects like cratering, flooding, or floating
- Specialized Functional Additives: Including PFAS-free formulations, anti-graffiti agents, and anti-fingerprint solutions
Industry Standards:
Learn more about surface tension measurement at the American Coatings Association.
