Abstract: The thickening effect of polyurethane thickener was not good in the water-based coating system with higher content of film forming additives, but the thickening effect of alkali swelling thickener was good in this system. At present, the research of alkali swelling thickeners mainly focused on the synthesis and properties of macromolecules study, but there were few public reports on their application in water-based coatings. The application of alkali swelling thickener in single-component waterborne plastic coatings was studied, and the effects of the amount of thickener on the viscosity, storage settlement, construction property, gloss and water resistance of the coating were discussed. The results show that the viscosity of waterborne coatings was increased from 38.3 KU to 134 KU, and the settlement degree was increased from 2 to 10 with the increase of the dosage of thickener. When the dosage is 0.8%~1.1%, the construction performance is better; Glossiness showed a trend of first increase and then decrease with the increase of the thickener. When the amount of the thickener was 0.8%, glossiness was up to 78.2 GU. Coatings boiling resistance with the increase of the thickener and then reduced, when the amount of more than 1.1%, bubbler was coming out after coatings boiled and coatings adhesion was abnormal.

Key words: Waterborne coatings, Thickener, Dosage, Viscosity, Glossiness