For formulators of alkyd coatings, dry time remains one of the most critical performance metrics. Whether developing architectural clearcoats, industrial enamels, or exterior wood finishes, accelerating cure without sacrificing film performance is essential for both manufacturers and end users.
Recent starting point formulations featuring Dri-Rx® HF drier accelerator in clearcoats demonstrate how formulators can significantly improve metal carboxylate drying performance in both waterborne and solventborne alkyd systems.
Faster drying translates directly into:
However, achieving faster cure rates is often challenging, especially in thicker films, lower temperatures, or high-humidity environments where oxidative curing can slow dramatically.
The solventborne formulation work highlights Dri-Rx HF’s versatility across both manganese and cobalt drier systems in long-oil alkyd enamel clearcoat formulations.
When paired with a manganese drier system, Dri-Rx HF achieved:
Drying additives were not only tested under ambient conditions – drying improvements were also observed under adverse conditions with cobalt drier + Dri-Rx HF.
At ambient conditions (25°C, 50% RH), Dri-Rx HF delivered:
Under challenging curing conditions (10°C, 80% RH), Dri-Rx HF provided:
At an 8-mil film build, Dri-Rx HF achieved:
These results demonstrate that performance gains are not limited to ambient conditions but extend to challenging environments.
In a medium-oil waterborne alkyd clearcoat formulation, Dri-Rx HF was evaluated against both a cobalt-only system and a cobalt drier combined with a competitive accelerator.
Compared to the cobalt-only system, Dri-Rx HF reduced through-dry time from 12.0 hours to 6.25 hours, delivering 48% faster through dry performance.
Dry performance was also improved against the competitive accelerator.
Dry times were also faster at higher film builds. Through-dry time improved from 24.0 hours to 13.8 hours, representing a 42% reduction in cure time versus the cobalt-only control.
For applications where fast recoating or return-to-service is essential, these improvements can help formulators differentiate their products while maintaining desirable film properties.
Beyond dry-time improvements, Dri-Rx HF was also rated favorably for:
This flexibility allows formulators to leverage a common drier acceleration approach across multiple resin technologies and coating platforms.
As the coatings industry continues to seek greater productivity and faster project completion times, drier optimization remains a powerful tool for improving coating performance.
The starting point formulations demonstrate that Dri-Rx HF can:
From decorative clearcoats to industrial enamel applications, formulators have an opportunity to achieve faster drying without compromising versatility or film performance.
Ready to evaluate Dri-Rx HF in your next alkyd formulation?
The starting point formulations provide a practical pathway to faster cure and enhanced performance across a wide range of application conditions.
Borchers also offers Borchi® high-performance catalysts to replace traditional metal carboxylate driers and eliminate the need for a drier accelerator to boost dry times.
Have questions about drying solutions for alkyd formulations? Contact our experts for more info.
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