Company Summary: BYK is a leading global supplier of additives and measuring instruments for the coatings, inks, and plastics industries, and increasingly for oil and gas, personal care, and other sectors. With over 145 years of experience, BYK focuses on enhancing the quality and performance of products by optimizing their properties during manufacturing and in the final application. As part of the ALTANA Group, BYK operates globally with production sites in Germany, the Netherlands, China, and the USA, and a worldwide network of sales and service organizations. They are committed to sustainability, innovation, and providing tailored solutions that meet complex customer requirements.
Main Markets: BYK’s additives and instruments serve a diverse range of global markets:
- Coatings: A primary market, including automotive, decorative, industrial, wood & furniture, protective, and powder coatings.
- Printing Inks: For various printing applications.
- Plastics: Additives for thermoplastics and thermosets.
- Adhesives & Sealants: Enhancing performance in bonding and sealing applications.
- Construction: Additives for building materials.
- Textile, Leather, & Nonwovens: For various fabric and material treatments.
- Paper & Board: Additives for paper manufacturing.
- Oil & Gas: Additives for drilling fluids and other applications.
- Personal Care: Specialty additives for cosmetics and personal care products.
- Food Packaging: Additives ensuring safe and effective food packaging.
- Architectural Glazing: Additives for glass coatings.
- Automotive: Additives for automotive components and finishes.
Main Product Categories & Descriptions: BYK’s core offerings are highly specialized chemical additives and complementary measuring instruments:
- Wetting and Dispersing Additives (e.g., DISPERBYK®, BYK-ANTI-TERRA®): These additives improve the dispersion of pigments and fillers in liquid systems, preventing flocculation and ensuring homogeneous distribution, leading to better color strength, gloss, and stability in coatings and inks.
- Defoamers (e.g., BYK®-A): Additives that prevent or eliminate foam formation during manufacturing and application processes, ensuring smooth surfaces and defect-free films in coatings and plastics.
- Rheology Additives (e.g., BYK-CERA®, RHEOBYK®): These additives control the flow behavior of liquid systems, preventing sagging, improving leveling, and enhancing application properties in paints, inks, and adhesives.
- Surface Additives (e.g., BYK-300 series): Used to modify surface properties, such as improving scratch resistance, slip, or leveling, and preventing defects like cratering and orange peel in coatings and plastics.
- Wax Additives (e.g., CERAFLOUR®, AQUACER®): Provide various benefits like scratch resistance, matting, and improved haptic (feel) in coatings and inks.
- Adhesion Promoters: Chemicals that enhance the bond between different materials, improving the durability and performance of coatings and adhesives.
- Plastic Additives: A range of additives that improve processing, surface aesthetics, and mechanical properties of plastic materials.
- Measuring Instruments (BYK-Gardner): Devices for objective and precise quality control in coatings, plastics, and paper industries, measuring properties like gloss, color, film thickness, and appearance.
