Anti-skinning agents

Anti-skinning agents prevent premature skin formation on paints and varnishes during storage and when they inevitably come into contact with atmospheric oxygen. They play a particularly important role in oxidative drying systems, such as those found in alkyd resin varnishes. Without suitable additives, a solid, rubber-like skin can form on the surface of the product, which not only renders the material unusable but also severely impairs the subsequent working process. Such a skin on the varnish in the can leads to additional effort during preparation, can cause lumps or inclusions and thus interfere with uniform application.

The use of modern anti-skinning agents keeps the coating stable and workable for longer. This not only improves application efficiency, but also increases the final quality of the paint film. Users benefit from a smooth, trouble-free surface, better flow properties and reliable colour consistency. Overall, anti-skinning agents thus contribute to significantly improved coating performance, as they reduce material losses and ensure professional, high-quality processing.

Marketed under the brand name EZ-Blox®, 2-pentanone oxime (2-PO), formerly known as Apri-Skin 623, is a highly effective anti-skin agent for oxidative drying alkyd resin paints and varnishes. It offers a powerful and safe alternative to MEKO (methylethylketoxime), which is classified as carcinogenic (category 1B) in the EU. EZ-Blox® is designed to optimise the performance of alkyd-based coating systems by preventing the formation of a surface skin when the product comes into contact with atmospheric oxygen. This in turn improves coating performance and reduces waste.

The use of 2-pentanone oxime (2-PO) as an anti-skin agent is protected by European patent EP 3 286 270 (valid until April 2036, validated in ~2 dozen EPC countries). This makes EZ-Blox® the legally secure reference for 2-PO in alkyd systems in Europe.

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