In polymer technology, compatibilizers are specific substances added to a system consisting of a polymeric material (which forms the continuous phase, called the matrix) and another material (which constitutes the dispersed phase, usually immiscible with the polymeric material). The addition of the compatibilizer makes the two materials compatible, meaning it makes them miscible with each other, increasing adhesion between the surfaces of the two materials and thereby enabling the creation of special polymer-based composite materials.

In ceramics, compatibilizers are chemical used to make two application layers compatible when, for various reasons, they may be difficult to combine. Some kind of Primers are a perfect example: their presence is often necessary to harmonize the solvent-based nature of digital inks with the water-based applications that either precede or follow the printing phase and occur along the glazing line.

Thanks to their compatibilizing action on the layers, these products can eliminate defects that would be visible on the final product and avoid application issues that could sometimes even lead to the production line being blocked.