BENATHIX®

BENATHIX® rheological additive is a specially designed thickener for unsaturated polyester resins in structural applications.

is a cost-effective alternative to fumed silica and other organophilic clays • is easy to disperse • allows rapid incorporation into styrene with lowshear mixers • provides consistent, stable viscosity and thixotropic index • imparts excellent drainage control, even at low viscosity and thixotropic indices • offers fast viscosity recovery rate after spray-out or roll-out • improves resistance to settling and syneresis produces better glass-wetting properties • is easier to handle than fumed silica • allows increased filler loadings • offers good clarity in cured resins • gives minimal gel-time drift

BENATHIX®rheological additive is an extremelyefficient, organically modified smectite claydeveloped to impart thixotropy and drainagecontrol to unsaturated polyester laminating resinsand gel coats.Unlike conventional organoclays or fumed silicathixotropes, BENATHIX®rheological additive doesnot require high-shear mixing equipment.BENATHIX®rheological additive is mixed intostyrene, after which the resin and other ingredientsare added.
BENATHIX®rheological additive is first added tothe styrene. Good turbulent mixing of theBENATHIX®and styrene, prior to the addition ofthe resin, is sufficient to get an optimalperformance.Our laboratory tests, using a typical laminatingresin at 56 % solids, indicate that the optimumconcentration of BENATHIX®in styrene is 6 %.Incorporation of BENATHIX®in styrene does notrequire high shear forces. Although high shearincorporation also gives good results, low-speedstirring is enough. Mixing with the resin shouldtake place at the lowest possible speed to avoid airentrapment.Post-production correctionAdapting the viscosity of a batch is possible with a6% BENATHIX®-in-styrene mix. HOWEVER, caremust be taken to avoid reducing the resins solidsexcessively