Hi-Perferal and Liaoning Saifei Chemical Introduce Epoxy Curing Agent Series
Vanconol® adds three new epoxy curing agents, completing the curing component of industrial protective coatings systems
Tianjin, November 2026 — Starting in November 2026, Tianjin Hi-Perferal Advanced Materials Co., Ltd. and its majority-owned subsidiary Liaoning Saifei Chemical Co., Ltd. will begin introducing an epoxy curing agent series. The first grades include AA-M, CM-PF-M and CM-W2, all under the Vanconol® brand. Epoxy curing agents are a key step in epoxy coating film formation, and the ability to supply them directly affects formulation response speed and batch consistency. The move marks the extension of the company’s work in corrosion science and organic synthesis from a single material segment toward the full “formulation–application–curing” chain, offering the industrial protective coatings industry a more complete solution set.
Coatings technology is a field Hi-Perferal has cultivated over the long term. For many years the company has invested continuously in architectural coatings, waterborne industrial coatings, electrodeposition coatings and new-energy-related materials systems, becoming a significant solution provider in the coatings technology industry. As deeper work in corrosion science, colloid chemistry and organic synthesis has continued to advance in recent years, the reach of the company’s solutions has kept expanding. Epoxy curing agents are identified as a key implementation direction in the company’s 2026–2030 strategic cycle; the related R&D and engineering capabilities represent a concentrated release of the company’s long accumulation in industrial protective coatings.
Three initial grades covering three complementary technical routes
This batch of epoxy curing agents follows a “differentiation on demand” design approach. Rather than stacking parameters, the three grades each address one of the three most typical pain points in industrial protective coatings formulations — the application window under low-temperature and damp conditions, the balance between film flexibility and adhesion, and the waterborne low-VOC route driven by environmental regulations — forming a complementary rather than overlapping product portfolio.
CM-PF-M: a fast-curing option for low-temperature and damp substrates
CM-PF-M is an epoxy curing agent developed for application conditions involving low-temperature or damp substrates. In cold seasons or high-humidity environments, epoxy systems commonly face slow cure initiation, incomplete film formation and reduced interfacial adhesion. This grade uses a cardanol-modified Mannich structure that balances reactivity and flexibility, achieving a good balance among cure speed, adhesion and overall cost. It is a practical option for low-temperature application, damp-substrate repair and schedule-critical projects.
Through adjustment of the modified structure, this grade offers tunable formulation space among cure speed, viscosity behavior and pot life, allowing coatings manufacturers to select for specific process conditions such as winter application, urgent repair or maintenance in complex environments. Suitable areas include two-component epoxy coatings, low-temperature application scenarios, general protective coatings, and primer and repair coating applications. For damp substrates, use is recommended together with an assessment of substrate moisture content and verification of interfacial adhesion.
AA-M: a balanced option for pot life, flexibility and adhesion
AA-M is an amine-terminated polyamide epoxy curing agent positioned for “overall balance” — it does not pursue extreme performance on any single metric, but makes pot life, film flexibility, adhesion and low-temperature cure controllable in the same product. Such needs are extremely common in industrial protective applications: too short a pot life squeezes the application window, while too high a crosslink density makes the film brittle and prone to cracking under equipment vibration or thermal cycling. Through structural design and adjustment of the formulation window, AA-M provides a more comfortable formulation basis for projects that must address both sides.
In terms of application scenarios, AA-M is suited to pairing with conventional bisphenol-A liquid epoxy resins, covering primers, protective coatings and repair coatings. For film systems requiring a degree of toughness — such as those with higher bending, impact and adhesion requirements — this grade is often at an advantage in formulation screening. For projects with long application cycles, pot life performance can be further optimized in combination with temperature and mix ratio.
CM-W2: an option for waterborne epoxy and low-VOC directions
CM-W2 is a water-dispersible epoxy curing agent developed from the company’s own intermediates, intended for waterborne epoxy coatings and related water-dispersible epoxy systems. Its value corresponds directly to one of the clearest trends in the coatings industry today — with tightening environmental regulations and stricter VOC controls, waterborne conversion has moved from an option to a necessity, yet waterborne systems have long struggled to reconcile dispersion stability, film-formation speed and water resistance.
CM-W2 achieves water dispersibility through partial neutralization. Formulation engineers can optimize along dimensions such as solids content, degree of neutralization, pH and storage stability, and can improve dispersion uniformity and storage stability through process control. In low-VOC applications, this grade can replace part of the organic diluent medium via a water-dispersible system, supporting waterborne primers, protective coatings and maintenance coatings. Specific VOC levels and film-formation performance must be determined by testing the complete formulation.
Product overview
| Grade | Product type | Key functional value | Main application areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA-M | Amine-terminated polyamide epoxy curing agent | Balanced pot life, flexibility, adhesion and low-temperature cure performance | General-purpose epoxy coatings, primers, protective coatings, repair coatings, flexible epoxy systems, long application-cycle projects |
| CM-PF-M | Cardanol-modified Mannich-type epoxy curing agent | Fast cure on low-temperature and damp substrates, with balanced flexibility, adhesion and cost | Two-component epoxy coatings, low-temperature application, damp-substrate repair and maintenance, primers and urgent repair |
| CM-W2 | Water-dispersible epoxy curing agent | Water-dispersible epoxy systems, low-VOC direction, adjustable degree of neutralization and stability | Waterborne epoxy coatings, low-VOC applications, waterborne primers, protective coatings, maintenance coatings |
Note: The above describes product positioning and recommended application areas. For detailed technical specifications, mix ratio recommendations and process conditions, please refer to the company’s formal technical documents and the conclusions of technical discussions.
Technical support team: delivering application solutions beyond the product
In the coatings and protective coatings industry, film performance is determined jointly by the resin system, pigments and fillers, substrate preparation, application environment and curing conditions; a single product parameter cannot substitute for complete application engineering judgement. Accordingly, alongside the launch of the epoxy curing agent series, the company has opened a dedicated technical support channel, through which a technical team with backgrounds in coatings formulation and corrosion protection provides customers with support throughout the process from selection to validation.
- Formulation screening and parallel evaluation: assisting customers in running comparative tests on the same substrate, the same resin batch and the same application conditions, recording ambient temperature and humidity, film thickness, substrate preparation, gel time, hardness and adhesion, so that performance is not judged on a single metric alone.
- Cure condition optimization: evaluating mixed viscosity, pot life and film-formation conditions against on-site temperature, humidity, ventilation and application pace, and helping adjust mix ratio and cure window so that product performance fits actual line and job-site conditions.
- Resin compatibility verification: for waterborne systems, focusing on post-mix stability, pH, separation and surface oil, drying speed and water resistance; for solvent-based systems, focusing on mixing uniformity and pot life performance.
- Application and substrate condition assessment: assisting in evaluating substrate moisture content, roughness and degree of rust removal, and providing use recommendations for damp substrates and marginal film-formation conditions.
- Application performance evaluation: organizing verification around indicators such as adhesion, water resistance, media resistance, flexibility and weatherability, and establishing application evaluation methods that customers can use for internal acceptance.
- Supporting technical documentation: controlled documents such as product selection guides, formulation screening recommendations, SDS, COA and batch inspection reports can be provided, together with selection guidance on regulatory compliance and green development directions.
For customers adopting a new curing agent system for the first time, the technical team recommends starting with small-sample compatibility trials before moving to pilot and full-scale use, to avoid unnecessary risk from resin batch variation or fluctuations in application conditions. For projects with defined schedules, climatic conditions or environmental targets, the team can engage early in the formulation and process design stage.
R&D system and delivery capability
The launch of the epoxy curing agents builds on Hi-Perferal’s existing technical base in organic synthesis, corrosion science and colloid chemistry. The company currently operates four business units: the Additives Business Unit, the Fine Chemicals Business Unit, the Functional Materials Business Unit and the Corrosion Science Business Unit. This batch of epoxy curing agents was developed under the leadership of the Corrosion Science Business Unit, in coordination with the Additives Business Unit on the coatings formulation application side.
- The Tianjin headquarters site covers 21 mu and has capacity for acetylenic diol polyether surfactants, alkyl imidazolines, polyethylene glycol acrylates and silicone leveling agents.
- The Panjin, Liaoning site covers 61 mu and has capacity for pure acetylenic diol surfactants, waterborne dispersants and defoamers, methyl isoamyl ketone (MIAK) and KOH solution, providing the basis for raw material supply and scaled delivery of the epoxy curing agents.
- The company is a National High-Tech Enterprise and holds dual certification to ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management).
- Products are exported to more than 30 countries and regions, serving high-end markets such as architectural coatings, new energy and semiconductors, with customers among major domestic coatings manufacturers and overseas industrial clients.
Driving green development through technological innovation, pursuing independent innovation to advance localization, focusing on customer value and providing one-stop solutions are core principles the company has long upheld. The waterborne and low-VOC direction represented by CM-W2 is a concrete expression of that principle in industrial protective coatings — an additional option that balances environmental regulations and film performance alongside high-VOC film-formation routes.
Enquiries and sample requests
The company has opened channels for formulation screening and application discussions for all three grades. Coatings and protective coatings manufacturers are welcome to raise requirements regarding specific working conditions, resin systems and regulatory requirements; the technical team will provide selection recommendations, small-sample support and application validation plans.
| Business type | Contact |
|---|---|
| Additives business and e-commerce purchasing | 18526487985 |
| Corrosion Science Business Unit (corrosion inhibitors and epoxy curing agents) | Mr. Shi 18622182445 |
| Technical service hotline | 022-82910362 |
| Chinese website | www.surfychem.com |
| English website | www.surfychem.com/en/ |
| Corrosion science learning website | www.hipfer.com |
Tianjin headquarters: No. 2-1 Zhenghua Road, Caozili Town, Wuqing District, Tianjin | Panjin, Liaoning: Lüshan Road, Fine and Petrochemical Industrial Park, Liaobin Economic Development Zone, Panjin, Liaoning
The product positioning and application directions described in this press release come from the company’s internal R&D and process validation data; product specifications, batch quality and regulatory information are subject to the company’s formal technical documents (controlled versions of TDS, COA and SDS).