Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Acid Having a pH of less than 7; turns blue

litmus paper red
Alligatoring Breaks in the coating film which are
wide and extensive, but which do not
penetrate to the substrate
Alkaline Having a pH of more than 7; turns red
litmus paper blue
Aromatic Hydrocarbon Aromatic: Of, relating to, or
characterized by the presence of at
least
one benzene ring -- used to describe
cyclic unsaturated hydrocarbons and
their derivatives
Binder The non-volatile part of a medium
Blistering Isolated convex deformation of a paint
film in the form of blisters arising from
the detachment of one or more of the
coats
Blooming The formation of a thin film on the tip of
a paint film thereby reducing the luster
or
veiling its depth of color
Blushing The formation of a milky opalescence in
clear finishes caused by deposition of
moisture from the atmosphere and/or
precipitation of one or more of the solid
constituents of the finish
Body Used to indicate the consistency of a
paint
Catalyst A substance whose presence increases
the rate of a chemical reaction
Checking Slight breaks in the surface of a paint
film which do not render the underlying
surface visible when the film is viewed
at
 a magnification of ten times
irregular pattern type Checking in which the breaks are in
no
definite pattern
line type Checking in which the breaks are, in
general, in parallel lines
crow-foot type Checking in which the breaks are in
a
series of three-pronged formations
in
which the prongs radiate from a
point
with an angle of approximately 120o
between prongs
Chipping The removal of paint and surface
contaminants from a substrate by
means
of impact from a sharpened tool
Coalescent United to a whole; fused; grown
together
Cobwebbing The formation of fine filaments of partly
dried paint during the spray application
of a fast drying paint
Corrosion The deterioration of a substrate
(usually
metal) or its properties because of a
reaction with its environments
Cracking Formation of breaks in a paint film that
expose the underlying surface
irregular pattern type Cracking in which the breaks are in no
definite pattern
line type Cracking in which the breaks are, in
general, in parallel lines
sigmoid type Cracking in which the breaks are in
relatively large curves which meet
and/or
intersect
Crazing The formation of minute criss-cross
cracks on the surface of a paint film
NOTE: Crazing resembles
“checking” but the cracks are deeper
 and
broader and exhibit a polygonal pattern
resembling crazy paving
Crinkling The development of wrinkles in a paint
film during drying
Curing Mechanism The means by which the coating goes
from a liquid to a dry film
Drier A compound, usually organi-metallic
and
soluble in organic solvents and binders,
which is added to paint to accelerate
drying by catalytic oxidation
Drying Oil An oil which possesses to a marked
degree the property of readily taking up
oxygen from the air and changing to a
relatively hard, tough, elastic substance
when exposed in a thin film to the air
Dry film Thickness The thickness of a coating after all the
(DFT) solvent has evaporated and the coating
has cured

Ester An often fragrant compound formed by

the reaction between an acid and an
alcohol
Evaporate To convert from a liquid into vapor
Filler A composition used for filling fine
cracks and indentations to obtain a
smooth finish preparatory to painting
Flattening Agent A material added to paints, varnishes,
etc. to reduce the gloss of the film
Gloss The visual impression created by the
reflecting properties of a surface
Grinning Through The effect observed when a paint does
not totally obscure the underlying
surface
Hardener A cross-linking agent used to cure a
resin
or paint system
Hiding Power The ability of a paint to obliterate the
color difference of a substrate; opacity
Holidays Defects characterized by a film having
 areas of insufficient thickness, even to
the point where parts of the surface
may
remain uncoated
Hydrolyzed To undergo a chemical process of
decomposition involving splitting of a
bond and addition of the elements of
water
Inhibitor A material used in small proportion to
slow a chemical reaction
Ketone An organic compound; some of the
more
familiar ketone solvents are acetone
and
methyl ethyl ketone
Kick Out Separation of constituents of a coating
caused by addition of incorrect solvent
Leveling The flowing out of a paint film after
application so as to produce a level
surface
Litmus A chemical that turns red in acid
solutions and blue in alkaline solutions
and is used as an acid base indicator
Mastic A heavy-bodied, paste-like coating
often
applied with a trowel to produce a thick,
protective film
M Ohm 1,000,000 ohms
Non-Drying Oil An oil which does not of itself possess
to
a perceptible degree the power to take
up
oxygen from the air and lose its liquid
characteristics
Non-Volatile Vehicle The total sum of the constituents of the
liquid phase of the paint, not readily
vaporizable at a relatively low
temperature
Ohm The standard unit of electrical
resistance
Opacity The ability of a paint to obliterate the
 color difference of a substrate; hiding
power
Orange Peel The pock-marked appearance of a
sprayed film due to its failure to flow
out
to a level surface
Overspray Sprayed paint which misses the
surface
to be coated
Oxidation Combination of coating molecules with
atmospheric oxygen
pH A description of the degree to which a
substance is acid or alkaline; pH is
expressed by means of a scale of 0 to
14,
with 7 representing neutrality

As shown on the scale below, numbers

less than 7 indicate acidity; the lower
the
number, the more acidic the substance

pH numbers greater than 7 indicate

alkalinity; the higher the number the
more alkaline the substance

Increasingly Increasingly
Acidic Alkaline

0 7 14
Pigment A substance, generally in fine powder
form, which is practically insoluble in
media and which is physically
dispersed in the binder to impart
 specific
physical and chemical properties
(optical, protective, decorative, etc.)
Pinholes Minute holes in a dry film which form
during application and drying of paint
Plasticizer Chemical added, especially to rubbers
and resins, to impart flexibility,
workability, or stretchability
Polymer A chemical compound or mixture of
compounds formed by polymerization
Polymerization A chemical reaction in which two or
more small molecules combine to form
larger molecules that contain repeating
structural units of the original
molecules
Primer The first coat of a painting system that
helps bind subsequent coats to the
substrate and which may inhibit its
deterioration
Resin A natural or synthetic material used to
bind pigments together and to the
substrate
Retarder A slow evaporating solvent used as a
thinner to slow down the speed of
drying
of a paint or lacquer to improve the
application properties or produce a
better
film
Seeds Undesirable particles or granules other
than dues, found in a paint or varnish
Spreading Rate Refers to the area, in square feet,
which
can be covered by one gallon of
coating
at a given Wet Film Thickness (WFT)
Solvent A liquid, single or blended, which is
volatile under normal drying conditions
and in which the binder will dissolve
completely
Streaking The formation of irregular lines or
 streaks of various colors in a paint film
caused by contamination of insufficient
or improper incorporation of colorant
Substrate The surface to which a coat of paint or
varnish is applied
Teardrops Drops of paint which collect on the
bottom edges of items painted by
dipping
Thinner A volatile liquid, single or blended,
added to paint to facilitate application
by
lowering the viscosity
Thixatropic The property of a paint whereby the
consistency is reduced on brushing or
stirring by lowering the viscosity
Too Thick Coatings Mil thickness is greater than specified;
can result in blisters or other failures
Too Thin Coatings Mil thickness less than specified; can
result in premature coating failure
Vehicle The total sum of the constituents of the
liquid phase of the paint
Wet Film Thickness The thickness of a coating immediately
(WFT) after application, before any solvent
has
evaporated