Polycol WP series - modified natural polysaccharides   Polycol WP is hydroxypropylated galactomannan, a derivative of guar, an annual plant that grows in semi-arid areas. The common chemical description is HydroxyPropylGuar (HPG). The rather high degree of molar substitution (MS) provides this renewable, natural product a remarkably improved resistance to enzyme degradation in order to compete efficiently with the - for historical reasons - better known cellulosic ethers. Swelling is delayed in Polycol WP to prevent the formation of lumps. Polycol WP standard grades:                                               Viscosity specification - Polycol WP-004                        400  -    500 mPa.s - Polycol WP-05                        4500  -   6000 mPa.s - Polycol WP-10                        9900  -  12100 mPa.s - Polycol WP-15                      13500  -  16500 mPa.s - Polycol WP-20                      18000  -  22000 mPa.s Viscosity: 2% in aqueous solution, 20°C, Brookfield RVT, 20rpm Polycol WP properties in water-based architectural coatings Hydrocolloidal rheological modifiers are necessary in latex paints to adjust several properties: Viscosity / rheology setting Anti-settling of pigments and fillers Colour acceptance Anti-dripping and -spattering Levelling and anti-sagging of the wet paint film Water retention of applied paint film Synthetic rheological modifiers such as acrylics (HASE) or PUR (HEUR) do not noticeably improve the requirements for water retention. Polycol WP vs. competitive rheology modifiers The biggest advantages of Polycol WP vs. cellulose ethers are 1. Lower formulation costs vs. other non-ionic cellulose ethers 2. Perfect pigment paste uptake (colour acceptance) 3. Less influence of wet paint temperature on its viscosity The biggest rheological difference is a more remarkable pseudoplastic behaviour. Polycol WP offers a good anti-spattering performance, similar to standard HEC, although at 10'000 s-1 the "ICI" viscosity performance is 10-20% less at the same low shear viscosity.