WACKER presents hydrophobic silicone additives for textiles, surfaces and automotive care at SEPAWA 2026

The consumer goods industry uses silicones for many reasons. Silicone emulsions and fluids are excellent water-repellent treatments for textiles due to their water-repellent yet breathable properties. Moreover, silicones ensure a pleasant feel. Textiles and leather are soft and supple to the touch following treatment with silicones.

At SEPAWA, WACKER demonstrates how such effects can be optimized through the right selection and combination of silicone additives. For textile impregnations, WACKER presents the silicone emulsion LIOSIL^® HC 603 E. It is particularly suitable for water-based formulations. For solvent-based sprays, the company will be showcasing the WACKER^® MQ 803 TF silicone resin and the functional silicone wax WACKER^® W 23. When used together, both products are suitable for waterproofing natural and synthetic fibers. Leather materials treated in this way also have considerably improved tactile properties.

Silicones do not simply provide moisture protection. They also impart brilliance and luster to various surfaces – an effect that WACKER is also highlighting at SEPAWA. By choosing and combining the right silicone waxes and resins, you can significantly enhance the conditioning and gloss-enhancing effects of floor-care products, furniture polishes and car polishes. The same applies to the impregnation of glass. Amino-functional silicone fluids such as WACKER^® L 656 ensure that water runs off quickly and dirt pickup of glass surfaces is significantly reduced.

This year’s SEPAWA also features BELNEXT^® EMO FH2. This ferment-derived, 100 percent bio-based emollient offers excellent sensory and pigment-dispersing properties, in addition to high formulation stability. It improves the stability of oil-in-water emulsions and enables the formulation of decorative cosmetic products characterized by high color intensity.

BELNEXT^® EMO FH2 will be showcased in the SEPAWA Innovation Zone, where the 20 most innovative personal-care ingredients at the conference are on display (poster number IZ21).

In addition to BELNEXT^® EMO FH2, BELNEXT^® GAL 1860 is also making its debut at SEPAWA. This is a biotechnologically derived active ingredient from WACKER’s new aminolipid platform. This aminolipid which is produced through fermentation has conditioning properties and has been developed specifically for hair-care formulations. Thanks to its lamellar liquid crystal structures, silicones and nourishing oils can enrich the hair shaft more effectively. The result is also palpable: The hair feels smoother and is easier to comb, even when wet.

BELNEXT^® GAL 1860 is biodegradable and therefore an alternative to conventional quaternary conditioning agents. The product does not require pre-neutralization during processing, which significantly simplifies the formulation of hair-care products. At the Forum for Innovation, Florence Olechowski, Business Development Manager, and Sonja Bauhuber, Application Engineer, will be presenting the new aminolipid technology as part of their talk entitled “BELNEXT^®: biotechnologically derived conditioning agent for hair-care formulations” – to be held at 11:00 a.m. on October 15.

Additional presentations and demonstrations on surface care and personal care are scheduled at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on October 14, as well as at 2:00 p.m. on October 15 at the booth of the chemical distributor IMCD (B 311–B 317).