PFAS-Free Sand-Texture Additives: Keeping the Grain Without the Fluorine
Classification: Industry News
Sep 03,2026
PFAS-Free Sand-Texture Additives: Keeping the Grain Without the Fluorine
A practical guide to replacing PTFE-based texture agents in powder coatings
PTFE micropowder has long been the hidden ingredient behind crisp sand-texture powder coatings: it stays solid while the resin melts, raising melt viscosity and scattering light into a uniform, low-gloss grain. That workhorse is now under regulatory pressure.
Why the industry is moving now
The EU-wide PFAS restriction proposal under REACH is in formal consultation, and leading coating brands and their OEM customers have already started requesting verified PFAS-free powders. PTFE sits inside the PFAS family, so exporters to Europe need a defensible alternative today, not when a ban lands. The difficulty is that PTFE performs three jobs at once: uniform fine-to-medium grain, scratch resistance and clean low gloss.
How sand texture is created
Physical texture agents stay unmelted during cure and disturb flow so the film cannot level completely; chemical agents join the cure reaction and lock in the grain by shortening gel time. Modern PTFE-free systems replicate both routes without fluorine: biopolymer-based additives give a uniform sandpaper-like grain in matte polyester and acrylic systems at 3-7%, modified amide-wax and polymer-alloy grades cover fine-to-medium textures at lower dosage, and inorganic-organic hybrids deliver coarse anti-slip finishes.
PTFE-based vs PTFE-free
Criterion | PTFE-based | PTFE-free |
Compliance | In PFAS family; EU pressure | PFAS-free, documented |
Grain control | Very fine, proven | Fine to coarse; system-dependent |
Scratch and feel | Good; dry surface | Good; smooth-to-dry options |
Typical dosage | 0.1-0.3% (auxiliary) | 0.5-7% by grade and system |
Evaluate before you switch
- Verify compliance: test PFAS content at an accredited laboratory and obtain a written PFAS statement for your export markets.
- Match grain to chemistry: trial each candidate in your real system - polyester-TGIC, polyester-HAA, hybrid or epoxy - at two or three dosages.
- Check the full property set and consistency: impact, scratch, gloss stability and DOI today and after four weeks of storage.
Henan ICASON Chemical Co., Ltd. supplies a full range of PFAS-free sand-texture additives for all mainstream powder systems, with export compliance documentation and formulation support. Contact our export team for grades and samples. |
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