PAINTS

Definition
Paint is “a mechanical dispersion mixture of one or
more pigments in a vehicle”. The ‘vehicle’ a liquid,
consisting of non-volatile, film-forming material,
drying oil and a highly volatile solvent, thinner.
 Requisites of a good paint
It should be fluid enough to be spread easily over the protected
surface.
1) It should possess high covering power.
2) It should form a quite tough, uniform, adherent and impervious
film.
3) Its film should not get cracked on drying.
4) It should protect the painted surface from corrosion effects of
environment.
5) It should form film, the colour of which is quite stable to the
effect of atmosphere and other agencies.
6) Its film should be glossy (i.e, having shine or luster).
7) Its film should be stable.
8) It can be prepared in such a consistency as to be easily
applicable with brush or spraying device and that it yields a
smooth and uniform surface;
9) It should posses high adhesion capacity to the material over
which it is intended to be used.
10)It should possess high adhesion capacity to the material over
which it is intended to be used.
 1. Vehicle or drying oil
Drying oil is a film-forming consistent of the paint.
These are glyceryl esters of high molecular weight
fatty acids, generally, present in animal and
vegetable oils.

The most widely used drying oil, are linseed oil,

soyabean oil, and dehydrated castor oil.
 Functions of drying oils
Drying oil supplies to paint-film: (i) main film-forming constituent
(ii) vehicle or medium (iii) toughness (iv) adhesion (v) durability and
(vi) water proofness.
Reactions in drying of oils: The oil film, after it has been applied
on the protected surface, absorbs oxygen (of the air) at the double
bonds, forming peroxides, diperoxides and hydroperoxides, which
isomerize, polymerize and condense to form a characteristic tough,
coherent, hard, elastic, insouble, infusible, highly cross-linked
structured macromolecular film. The final hardened product actually
resembles a thermosetting resin in chemical structure .

Fig.1: Drying of a paint film

Mechanism of drying oils to form paint film
 2. Thinners
Thinners play the following important functions to
develop a paint film:
(i) reduce the viscosity of the paint to suitable consistency, so
that it can easily be handled and applied.
(ii) dissolve vehicle and the additives in the vehicle.
(iii) suspend the pigments.
(iv) increase the penetration power of the vehicle.
(v) increase the elasticity of the paint film.
(vi) help in the drying of the paint film, as they evaporate.

Common thinners used are turpentine (produced by

the distillation of a resinous exudation of some kind of pine
trees), mineral spirits (from petroleum), benzene, dipentene,
naphtha, toluol, xylol, kerosene, methylated naphthalene
etc.,
 3. Driers
Driers are oxygen-carrier catalysts. They accelertate
the drying of the oil-film through oxidation , polymerization and
condensation. Thus, their main function is to improve the
drying quality of the oil-film.

The most effective driers are resinates, linoleates,

tungstates and naphthenates of Co, Mn, Pb and Zn:
(i) Cobalt substances are the most efficient of all and
are ‘surface-driers’
(ii) Lead substances are ‘bottom-driers’; while
(iii) manganese substances are ‘thorough-driers’.

Too much of a drier tends to produce hard and

brittle films.
 4. Extenders
(i) Reduced the cost (ii) increase durability of the paint (iii) provide negligible
covering power to the paint, (iv) help to reduce the cracking of dry paint film and
sometimes help to keep the pigments in suspension, (iv) serve to fill voids in
the film (v) increase random arrangement of pigment particles, and (vi) act as
carriers for the pigment colour.
Important extenders used as barytes (BaSO4), talc, asbestos, ground
silica, gypsum, ground mica, slate powder, china-clay, whiting (CaCO3),
magnesium silicate, diatomite clay, calcium sulphate, etc.

5. Plasticizers
Plasticizers are incorporated in the paint: (i) to provide elasticity to the
film, and also (ii) to minimize its cracking. Common plasticizers used are
tricresyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, tributyl phthalate, diamyl phthalate
and dibutyl tartarate.

6. Antiskinning agents
These agents are, sometimes, added to some paints with the object of
preventing gelling and skinning of the paint film. Important antiskinning agents
are polyhydroxy phenols.
 Formulation of paints
Manufacture of paints depend upon proper composition of paint to meet
the specific requirements. These requirements may be listed as: (i) hiding
power (ii) colour fastness (iii) weather resistance, and (iv) consist).ency (for
proper application). These requirements are met by proper choice of pigments,
vehicles and extenders by the paint formulator. The most important concept for
a modern paint formulator is:

Pigment volume concentration(P.V.C), which is the concentration by

volume of the pigments expressed as a percentage of the total volume of non-
volatile constituents of the paint. As non-vasolatile volume in paint is the sum of
the volumes of pigment and non-volatile vehicle, therefore P.V.C can be
expressed mathematically as follows:

P.V.C = Volume of pigments in paint

Total volume of non-volatile constituents of the paint

P.V.C = Volume of pigments in paint

Volume of [pigment + non-volatile vehicle] constituents of the paint
 Formulation of paints (contd…..)
1) When the P.V.C. is increased, the gloss decreases, until paint becomes
flat.
2) With the increase in P.V.C., the relative quantity of binder decreases,
therefore, the film-formed loses cohesion and hence, durability. So, with
the increase in P.V.C., the adhesion and durability of paint-film
decreases.
3) With the increase in P.V.C., the washability of paint-film decreases.
4) Extenders, when added to a paint, amounts to increase in P.V.C., and
thus, decrease the gloss, washability, durability and adhesion. So, in
case the pigment is costly and its covering power is high, a portion of the
pigment may economically be replaced by extenders, without sacrificing
the covering power of pigment.
5) Opacity of white paint is created by the difference in the refractive
indices of the pigment and vehicle. It is also influenced by the ‘size’ of
the dispersed pigment particles and P.V.C.
 Failure of a paint film
A paint is considered as failed in the following cases:
1. Chalking is the progressive powdering of the paint film on the
painted surface. This occurs due to improper dispersion of pigment in vehicle or
by destruction of binder by the continuous exposure of light.
2. Flaking is peeling of the paint film from the painted surface. This is
due to the presence of dust particles or greasy matters in the paint. These
foreign matters result in poor adhesion of the paint to the painted surface.
3. Colour change of the paint film after sometime is due to the
chemical effect of atmospheric gases on the paint. For example, white lead-
containing paint film tarnishes (i.e, turns blackish), when exposed to
atmosphere, containing sulphur-containing gases (like H2S). Similarly, Zinc
oxide-containing paint film becomes yellow.
The paint failure can be prevented by: (1) Scientific mixing and
proportioning of the ingredients of proper characterisitics. (2) Using only
suitable and selected paint for a particular job. (3) Preparing carefully the
surface, before application of paint. (4) Applying a suitable primer-coat (5)
Properly applying the paint evenly. (6)Allowing each paint coat to dry
sufficiently, before the newer/next coat is applied.
 ENAMELS

Enamel is a pigmented-varnish (i.e., an intimate

dispersion of pigments in a varnish). They on
drying, give lustrous, hard and glossy finish.

Fig. No.3: Drying of enamel film

 Constituents of enamels

(1) Pigments used are, usually, white, soft and fine in texture. Commonly used
pigments are titanium dioxide and calcium sulphate mixtures. When coloured
pigments are used, the enamels are called Japans. Black Japans (prepared by
dissolving asphalt in linseed oil plus turpentine or spirit) are very useful for
painting metallic surfaces like bicycles, bed sheads and electrical devices.
Metallic surface painted with Japan is baked at 210 C for 3-4 hours and then
cooled. Oil gets quickly oxidised by heat and the coating so-produced is highly
resistant to corrosion and common chemicals.

(2)Vehicle may be pure resin or oleoresinous. Natural resins (like rosin) and
synthetic resins (like alkyd resins) are used as pure resin vehicle. In
oleoresinous vehicles, synthetic resins like phenol-aldehyde plus oil (like
linseed, soyabean or fish oil) are used.

(3) Driers are used only in case of oleoresinous enamels. The commonly used
driers are resinates and oleates of Co, Mn and Zn.

(4) Thinner commonly employed is turpentine or acetone.