Nanoclays in Paints and Coatings: What They Do and Why Formulators Use Them

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Walk into any coatings laboratory and ask about rheology modifiers and someone will mention nanoclay within the first few minutes. It’s been part of the paint formulator’s toolkit for decades — predating the current wave of nanomaterial interest by forty years, in fact. Attapulgite and smectite clays were being used in paints long before anyone called them “nanoclay.”

The terminology has evolved. The applications have expanded. But the core reason formulators reach for nanoclay hasn’t changed: it controls how paint flows in ways that other thickeners don’t.

Anti-Sag on Nanoclay Guide

Nanoclays in Paints and Coatings: What They Do and Why Formulators Use Them