Acrylic: A synthetic polymer used in high-performance latex or water-based paints.

As the
paint's binder, acrylic resins enable the coating to last longer and retain its color.

Acrylic Latex Paint: Water-thinned paint which employs acrylic resin as the majority of the
binder. Other binders which may be added to reduce cost or add specific properties include
styrene, epoxy, and poly-vinyl acetate.

100% Acrylic Latex Paint: Water-thinned paint in which only acrylic resin is used as the
binder medium. Typically the highest quality latex paints used for a wide variety of
architectural coatings, 100% Acrylic Latexes have superior adhesion, long-term flexibility,
breathability, alkali resistance, toughness, and color and sheen retention.

Acrylic Resin: Resins which have established a pre-eminent position among coating
formulators, having shown superiority in such respects as color and gloss retention, alkali
and oxidation (chalk) resistance, hardness, adhesive and cohesive strength, and overall film
durability. Generically, resins resulting from the polymerization of derivatives of acrylic
acids, including esters of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylonitrile, and their copolymers.
Also known as acrylate resins.

Adhesion: The ability of dry paint to remain on the surface without blistering, flaking or
cracking. Adhesion is probably the single most important property of paint. Wet adhesion,
the ability of dry paint to adhere to the surface in spite of wet conditions, is particularly
important for exterior house paints.

Airless Spraying: Process of atomization of paint by forcing it through an orifice at high

pressure. The effect is often aided by the vaporization of the solvents, especially if the paint
has been previously heated.

Alkyds: Resins used mostly in trim paints, inside and out, although some medium duty
equipment and marine enamels employ these resins as binders. Most often alkyd resins are
found in vehicles employing aliphatic hydrocarbons (mineral spirits or other refined
petroleum distillate) as thinner. Alkyds offer good leveling properties and cure to a relatively
durable film, but tend to yellow interior and embrittle with age. Color and gloss exterior is
only fair, and alkyds are highly prone to failure exterior on surfaces containing even
moderate levels of moisture. Chemically, alkyds are synthetic resins formed by the
condensation of polyhydric alcohols with polybasic acids. They may be regarded as complex
esters. The most common polyhydric alcohol used is glycerol, and the most common
polybasic acid is phthalic anhydride. Modified alkyds are those in which the polybasic acid is
substituted in part by a monobasic acid, of which the vegetable oil fatty acids are typical.

Binder: The binder cements the pigment particles into a uniform paint film and also makes
the paint adhere to the surface. The nature and amount of binder determine most of the
paint's performance properties -- washability, toughness, adhesion, and color retention.
Acrylic polymers are the binder of choice in producing quality high-performance latex paints.

Bleaching: Loss of color, usually caused by exposure to sunlight.

Blistering: The formulation of dome-shaped, hollow projections on paint, often caused by

heat or moisture. Can also be caused by solvent entrapment in a paint film which has
surface dried before the solvent has completely escaped.
Chalking: Formation of a friable powder on the surface of a paint film caused by the
disintegration of the binding medium due to disruptive factors during weathering. The
chalking of a paint film can be considerably affected by the choice and concentration of the
pigment. It can also be affected by the choice of the binding medium.

Color Retention: The ability of paint to keep its original color and resist fading.

Consistency: The resistance of a paint to flow. A paint with high consistency flows slowly;
a paint with low consistency flows readily.

Cracking: Breaks or splits in the paint's surface.

Durability: The degree to which paint withstands the destructive effects of the environment
to which it is exposed, especially harsh weather conditions. Durability has two aspects. Its
protective properties safeguard the substrate from degradation. Its decorative properties
allow the paint to retain its attractive appearance.

Efflorescence: An encrustation of soluble salts, commonly white, deposited on the surface

of coatings, stone, brick, plaster, or mortar; usually caused by salts or free alkalies leached
from mortar or adjacent concrete as moisture moves through it.

Elasticity: The ability of paint to expand and contract with the substrate without suffering
damage or changes in its appearance. Expansion and contraction are usually caused by
temperature fluctuations. Some substrates such as yellow pine expand at different rates
depending on the type of their grain. Elasticity is a key to durability. Acrylic binders are
noted for their elasticity.

Enamel: (1) Topcoat which is characterized by its ability to form a smooth surface;
originally associated with a high gloss, but may also include lower degrees of gloss, i.e., flat
enamels. (2) A class of substance having similar composition to glass with the addition of
stannic oxide, SnO2, or other infusible substances to render the enamel opaque.

Extender: A less-expensive ingredient than titanium dioxide that fills out and extends the
pigment's capabilities. Extender cannot be used without pigment. Some common extenders
are clays, calcium carbonate, and silica.

Fading: Lightening of the paint's color, usually caused by exposure to light or heat.

Film Formation: The paint's ability to form a continuous dry film. This process is the result
of the water or solvents evaporating and the coming together of the binder particles. A
continuous dry film repels water.

Flaking: The detachment of pieces of paint from the substrate, caused by a loss of
adhesion and elasticity. Also known as scaling.

Glycol: A co-solvent, combined with water in aqueous (latex) systems to form the total
thinner. Various glycols perform various functions, however, they are generally valuable as
brushing agents and for temperature stability (ethylene glycol is the chief ingredient in anti-
freeze). Generically, CH2OHCH2OH. General term for dihydric alcohols; ethylene glycol is
the most simple of the glycols.
Grain raising: Swelling and standing up of the wood grain caused by absorbed water or
solvents.

Hiding Power: The ability of paint to hide or obscure a surface, color or stain over which it
has been uniformly applied. Hiding power is provided by the paint's pigment.

Holidays: Application defect whereby small areas are left uncoated. Syn: Misses, Skips,
Voids, Discontinuities, Vacations.

Industrial paint: Paint that would normally be used to paint industrial items such as
structural steel, chemical plants, and pulp and paper mills. It usually has greater chemical
resistance and a faster drying time than regular house paint.

Intumescent Coatings: Fire retardant coating which, when heated becomes plastic and
produces nonflammable gasses, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia. The gasses are
trapped by the film, converting it to a foam about fifty times as thick as the original paint
film. At this stage, the film solidifies, resulting in a thick, highly insulating layer of carbon,
which effectively protects the substrate from fire.

Joint cement: Cement used in dry wall construction as a bedding compound for joint tape
and as a filler for nail holes.

Joint tape: Special paper tape or paper-faced cotton tape used over joints between panels
of wallboard to conceal the joint and provide a smooth surface for painting.

Latex: (1) Stable dispersion of a polymeric substance in an essentially aqueous medium.

(2) Fine dispersion of rubber or resin, natural or synthetic, in water; the synthetic is made
by emulsion polymerization. (Strictly speaking, after polymerization a latex is a solid
dispersed in water, and therefore is not an emulsion. Latex and emulsion are often used
synonymously in the paint industry.)

Latex Paint: Water-thinned paint made with synthetic binders such as polyvinyl acetate or
acrylic resins. In contrast to oil-based paint, latex paint dries fast, flows smoothly, and
cleans up easily with water. High-performance latex paints contain 100% acrylic resins.