For more than 45 years, Gold Reef Speciality Chemicals has led the South African chemical production sector. We take pride in offering a wide variety of high-performance speciality chemicals that meet the unique needs of different businesses.
We have established ourselves as a reliable partner for a number of industries, including mining, textiles, construction, water treatment, agriculture, and personal care, thanks to our dedication to quality and perfection. We break down our various chemicals into six product categories.
Gold Reef product types
In many industries, dust can be a serious problem that affects productivity, safety, and health. Chemicals with specific formulas, called dust suppressants, reduce this problem. They stop dust from becoming airborne by securing dust particles together on the ground or raising their surface tension. This reduces the chance of breathing in dust and produces a more controlled atmosphere.
Sectors that need dust suppressants:
- Mining – Dust suppression is essential in the mining and quarrying sectors to preserve worker health and enhance visibility.
- Construction – Dust suppressants are an efficient way to reduce the amount of particulate produced during building activities.
- Agriculture – Dust can harm crops and reduce yields in agriculture. On farm roads, dust suppressants help to control these problems.
Binders are the unsung heroes of several industrial processes. These specialised compounds function as adhesives, joining disparate parts to form a unified result. They provide strong bonds between different substances, including fibres, fillers, and colours. The final product will have the appropriate strength, flexibility, and durability.
Sectors that use binders:
- Paints and coatings – Mixing various chemicals and substances to form paints and coatings means that binders are needed to create an even product that does not split.
- Adhesives – Glues and other adhesives also require binders to unify all the chemicals into a singular product.
- Paper and packaging – In the process of making paper, cellulose fibres are held together by binders, which help produce sheets of paper that are robust and resistant to tearing.
- Textiles – The structural integrity of non-woven fabrics, which are used for a variety of purposes such as wipes and filters, is dependent on binders.
- Construction – To ensure solid connections between building materials, binders are essential ingredients in adhesives, mortars, and grouts.
These chemicals are needed for controlling viscosity. For example, if paint is too thin or a coating drips too much, then an acrylic thickener can be used. The purpose of these specialised chemicals is to make liquids thicker, or more viscous. They give the liquid a thicker consistency by forming a network of polymer chains inside it. Improved control over the material’s application and flow characteristics is made possible by its higher viscosity.
Sectors that use acrylic thickeners include:
- Paints and coatings – Acrylic thickeners in paints are crucial for even brushstrokes, controlled flow, and smooth application. This stops unsightly dripping.
- Textiles – Acrylic thickeners are essential for printing pastes and dyes in the textile sector because they guarantee uniform colour and even dispersion.
- Construction – To increase workability and adhesion, acrylic thickeners are often added to grouts and adhesives used in construction.
- Detergents – Washing liquids and softeners often have a viscous texture thanks to thickeners. This makes them easier to pour and administer in washing machines.
For particles in a liquid, dispersants function similarly to traffic controllers. They guarantee a uniform dispersion of the particles throughout the mixture by preventing them from clumping together. Dispersants work by giving each particle a unique coating that keeps the particles from adhering to one another. This keeps the suspension steady and uniform, avoiding settling and clumping.
Sectors that use dispersants:
- Paints and coatings – Dispersants keep pigments dispersed uniformly in paints, avoiding settling and colour variations.
- Pigments and dyes – To provide a homogeneous and readily blended product, dispersants are necessary during the concentrated pigment and dye production process.
- Agriculture – Herbicides and insecticides often need dispersants to ensure uniform dispersion of chemicals throughout the treated solution.
Solution polymers are a broad class of specialised compounds with a variety of functions based on their unique composition. These include solvents, thickeners, film formers, binders, and dispersants. Gold Reef produces two solvent-based solution polymers for coatings, adhesives, dyes and various other uses.
Sectors that use solution polymers:
- Paints and coatings – Solution polymers are indispensable in paint and coating formulations because of their many qualities, which include adhesion, thickening, and film formation.
- Adhesives – Solution polymers play a major role in the bonding and sealing capabilities of the adhesive and sealant industries.
- Textiles – To enhance fabric qualities like softness and water repellency, solution polymers are used in textile finishing.
- Paper and pulp – Solution polymers improve the water resistance, printability, and strength of paper.
- Automotive – These chemicals can be used in automotive paints, adhesives and sealants to improve durability, flexibility and resistance to environmental factors.
These chemicals lower the surface tension of liquids, facilitating easier spreading and penetration of surfaces. Wetting agents increase a liquid’s capacity to disperse on a surface by lowering the cohesive forces between its molecules. Its improved “wetness” encourages greater surface contact and penetration.
Sectors that need wetting agents:
- Agriculture – To ensure efficient coverage on plant surfaces, wetting agents are essential in the formulation of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.
- Mining – These chemicals are used to increase the flotation and separation operations’ efficiency in the mineral processing industry.
- Textiles – During the dyeing and finishing procedures, these chemicals help dyes seep into the cloth.
- Cleaning and detergents – By strengthening the detergent’s ability to eliminate dirt and stains, wetting agents improve their cleaning efficacy.
Gold Reef Speciality Chemicals is your reliable partner
We take great pride in offering a wide range of premium speciality chemicals that are designed to satisfy the various demands of South African industries. We can maintain our position at the forefront of chemical innovation thanks to our dedication to research and development.
By partnering with Gold Reef, you not only receive world-class chemicals but also gain access to the technical assistance offered by our experts. We know how important it is to find the ideal chemical partner. Our staff is committed to creating enduring relationships with you by offering outstanding assistance and support at every stage. For more information about our products and services, please get in touch with us today
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Gold Reef is a leading manufacturer of speciality chemicals for various industries. We fall under the ownership structure of Deneb Investments Limited. For more information on our products, contact info@gold-reef.co.za or phone +27 31 910 7500. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.