Carbowet 106 and 109 surfactants for waterborne architectural and industrial coatings are drop-in replacements for wetting agents that contain alkylphenol ethoxylates (APE) or nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE), which are persistent in the environment and suspected of being endocrine disrupters. Biodegradable, these surfactants are multifunctional, low-foaming, solvent-free additives for pigment and substrate wetting. They are clear, low-odor, low-viscosity liquids that are 100% active and easy to use. Carbowet 106 and 109 surfactants differ in their degree of water solubility, and, because they are free of phenolics, they are environmentally preferable to APE and NPE
