COMPOSITION OF PAINTS

Most paints have 4 basics types of ingredients

PIGMENTS, BINDERS, VEHICLE OR SOLVENT, and ADDITIVES
BINDERS
There are three basics mechanisms through which binders cure Oxidation, Polymerization and
Solvent Evaporation. But solvent evaporation occurs initially in all mechanisms.
After application, most paints dry by solvent evaporation to form a film that feels dry to touch.
However dried film may not be cured and additional chemical reactions may be required to attain
their final physical and chemical properties.
OXIDATION: (THERMOSET, do not deform & remain hard upon heat exposure)

Dry & crosslink by reaction with oxygen from atmosphere

They all contain drying oils mainly polyunsaturated
Drying oil is mixed with resin (binder) by heating
After application, paint dry by evaporation
To obtain maximum chemical & moisture resistant properties, the oil must react with
oxygen from air to crosslink, cure and further harden.
The auto oxidation occurs at a relatively fast rate shortly after application of wet paint
and it continues throughout the paint life, at much smaller rate.
Suitable moisture & chemical resistance in few days
Maximum moisture & chemical resistance after months/years
After 20 to 30 years, oxidation reaction continues which leads to cracking etc

POLYMERIZATION: (THERMOSET)

Three dimensional crosslinking

Crosslinking achieved by co-reacting 2 or more monomers
1 monomer have 3 or more reactive sites (functionality)
The other 2 have 2 reactive sites
Chemical reaction converts monomers into polymers
The resulting polymer may be homo polymer, co-polymer or tri-polymer
After crosslinking, the film is solvent resistant, tough, soft to hard and do not deform on
heat.
They are mostly 2 components, which are supplied separately. But some are single
components which react with moisture in the air to crosslink
After curing single, extremely large molecule is formed. E.g. Polyester, polyurethane.

SOLVENT EVAPORATION: (THERMOPLASTICS, deforms and soften on exposure to heat)

The solvent in which resin is dissolved may be water or organic solvent

The liquid resin become solid after evaporation of solvent and drying which results in
forming a film
There is no crosslinking or polymerization
Organic solvent based paints which use vinyl and chlorinated solvents have been
restricted due to VOC
Latex emulsion paints containing pigmented resin emulsified with water are now very
popular. They dry by water evaporation

The purpose of the binders is to binds the particles of pigment within themselves and to the
surface. The binders are responsible for Chemical resistance, water resistance and UV light
resistance.
There are 2 types of binders, Natural and Synthetic. Natural binders are obtained from trees,
insects and fossilized vegetables. E.g. turpentine oil, pine oil, coccids, copals etc.
There are large numbers of synthetic binders which are being used in different types of paints.
The selection is purely based on the end use or the environment in which the paint will be.
Examples are
1. Oil based Alkyds ( cures by oxidation)
2. Different alkyd modification e.g. phenolic modifications, vinyl modifications, silicone
modifications, epoxy modifications & urethane modifications
3. Water based acrylic emulsion are most popular due to better colour retention, exterior
weathering and durability. The hardness and flexibility of the film depends on type of
monomer, its amount and molecular weight. E.g methyl methacrylate is the hardest and
acrylates are softest.

DRYING OILS:
An oil is classified as drying oil if when spread out in air as a thin layer, it changes from a liquid
to a solid film with great toughness and hardness. This drying ability depends on the molecular
structure of the various chemical components that makeup the oil.
o Most are poly unsaturated fatty oils
o When combined with oxygen and accelerated by metallic driers, auto oxidation &
polymerization occurs which transform the oil from liquid to solid.
o Some vegetable oils are not drying oils e.g coconut, peanut, cotton seed oil.
o Fatty vegetable oils that exhibit proper drying oil characteristics are Linseed, Tung,
Soybean, Fish oils.

PIGMENTS:
Pigments are added to the pain to impart colour, opacity and to reinforce paint film. The other
benefits that pigment adds to paints are they protect against corrosion, act as barrier for water
and may enhance heat, abrasion, alkali and acid resistance as well. Paint viscosity also depends
on pigments particle size, shape, specific gravity, bulk density etc.
Examples:
INHIBITIVE TYPE chromates lead & zinc salts
BARRIER TYPE

Aluminum flakes, iron oxide

COLOUR TYPE

Organic and Inorganic, Titanium dioxide, Red chromate, azo

Pigments etc.

HIDING TYPE

Titanium dioxide, Zinc oxide, Zinc Sulfide (they all have high
Refractive index

SOLVENTS:
Solvents in paints are used as they dissolve solid paints constituents and change paint fluid for
satisfactory application. After application of paints, the solvent is undesirable.
A solvent must be able to wet the substrate and penetrate into and help paint seals any crevices,
voids or depressed irregularities. It must volatize fast enough to prevent runs and sags. If it is too
volatile, can cause solvent pops, loss of gloss, poor surface wetting, inhibit proper cure.
In most of the paints a blend of solvents is used to achieve optimum properties. Some will
evaporate fast to give quick drying of paints and some evaporate slowly to give good wetting and
penetration properties
Examples are Turpentine oil, aliphatic straight and cyclic non polar solvent, aromatic like
toluene, xylene, Esters, alcohols, glycols etc.
ADDITIVES:
A large variety of chemicals are added to the final paint formulation to impart specific desirable
properties for ease in manufacturing and application. A few examples are anti skimming agents,
fungicides, UV light absorber, plasticizers, flow agents, emulsion aids etc.
PAINT MANUFACTURING:

A modern paint manufacturing unit may consist of a variety of mixers and blenders to mix the
different paint ingredients. Kneaders, Ball mills and colloid mills are essential for uniform
mixing and homogenization of paints. Multiple sets of different milling devices are used to get
the desired consistency. After proper mixing, all paints are passed through a fine screen to
separate large size particles and foreign materials.
Proper formulation of paints depends upon raw materials selection and accurate calculation of
the amount of its constituents. To predict some properties of paints such as Ease of painting,
Gloss, Washability, etc Pigment Volume Concentration is used as an indicator (PVC)

PVC =

volume of pigments paint

volume of pigment+ volume of n on volatile ve h icle paint

Type of Paint
Matt
Semi gloss
Gloss
Exterior household
Metal primer
Wood Primer

PVC
50-75 %
35-45%
25-35%
27-36
25-40%
35-40%