PAINTS

Paints are used to protect metals, timber or plastered surfaces from the corrosive
effects of weather, heat, moisture or gases etc. and also to improve their
appearance.
Functions of Paint:
Paint performs following functions :
(i) It protects wood from decaying.
(ii) It prevents corrosion of metals.
(iii) It renders surface hygienically safe and clean.
(iv) It gives decorative and attractive appearance to the surface.
(v) It also protects the surface from harmful effects of atmospheric agencies.

Characteristics of an Ideal Paint:

An ideal paint should have the following characteristics :
(i) The paint should be cheap.
(ii) It should be easy and harmless to the user.
(iii) It should retain its original colour for a long time.
(iv) It should be able to cover maximum area of the surface with minimum
quantities.
(v) The painted surface should dry neither too slowly nor too rapidly.
(vi) When applied, the paint should form a thin uniform film on painted surface.
(vii) The paint should form a hard and durable coat on the painted surface.
(viii) The paint should not peel off from painted surface.
(ix) It should be good fire and moisture resistant.
(x) The painted surface should not show any cracks.
(xi) The painted surface should possess attractive and decorative pleasing
appearance.
(xii) Atmospheric agencies should not be able to affect the painted surface.

BASIC CONSTITUENTS OF PAINTS

An oil paint consists of the following ingredients or constituents:
I. A base
II. A vehicle or carrier
III. An inert filler or extender or ADULTERANT
IV. A drier
V. A solvent or thinner
VI. Colouring pigments or stainers (one or more)

1. A Base
A base is a solid substance of a metallic oxide in fine state of division. It is principal
ingredient in a paint and performs the following functions:
  It gives the body to the paint.
 It gives opacity and covering power to the paint. Thus, the base hides the
surface to be painted
 It makes the film of paint harden and more resistant to abrasion.
 It prevents the formation of shrinkage cracks, which are usually formed on
drying of a paint.

II. Vehicles or Carriers

A vehicle is a liquid substance which keeps the ingredients of a paint in liquid
suspension.
 Vehicles act as a binder for solid ingredients (i.e. pigments) of the paint viz.
bases, extender and colouring pigment and hence imparts adhesive property
to paints.
 It helps the ingredients to spread evenly over the surface to be painted.
 It help the paint to develop an elastic and protective film or coating on the
surface on drying.
III. An Inert Tiller or Extender or Adulterant
These are the cheap inert materials or pigments, used as adulterants with the base,
to extend help in performing the following functions
 To reduce the cost of the base and hence of the paints as a whole.
 To increases or decrease the weight of paint end hence to prevent too rapid
setting of the ingredients.
 To help to maintain the other pigments in suspension by modifying the
weight.
 To increase the durability of paint.
 To prevent shrinkage and cracking of paint.
IV. A Drier
These substances accelerate the process of drying. A driver absorbs oxygen from the
air and transfers it to the linseed oil, which in turn, gets hardened.
The forms driers are compounds of metals such as cobalt, lead, manganese etc.
dissolved in linseed oil or some other volatile liquid.
They are used for the following purposes
 to bring down the cost of paint
 to improve the durability of paint
 to modify the weight of paint
 to prevent shrinkage and cracking
The litharge, red lead and sulphate of manganese can also be used as driers.
V. A Solvent or Thinner
A solvent or thinner is a liquid which is mixed in a paint to make the paint thinner or
of desired consistency so that it can be easily applied on the surface.
 It helps the paint in penetrating through the porous surfaces being thinner at
the time of application.
 After applying the paint, the solvent evaporates and the resulting surface is
more even and smooth.
 It facilitates brushing and improves spreading power of the paint.
Commonly used thinners are:
1. For oil points:
(i) Turpentine
(ii) White spirit
(ii) Naphtha
2. For spirit laquers : Alcohol
3. For cellulose paint: Ethylamyl Acetate
4. For distempers: Water
VI. Colouring Pigments or Stainers
When it is descried to have a different colour than the base of a paint, a colouring
pigment is to be added. The pigments are available in the form of fine powders in
various colours and qualities.
Colouring pigments for paints
 Black :Graphite, lamp black, ivory black. vegetable black
 Blue :Indigo, prussian blue
 Brown: Burnt umber, raw umber
 Green: Chrome green, copper sulphate
 Red: Carmine, red lead, vermilion red
 Yellow: Chrome yellow, raw sienna, yellow ochre, zinc chrome

Various types of paints

Aluminium paints
It consist of aluminium powder (as base) held in suspension by varnish. They are
highly heat reflective and resistant to acid fumes. Aluminium paints are used for
painting metal roofs, silos, machinery, poles, towers and storage tanks. It provide a
very attractive appearance to the surface and the painted surface is visible even in
darkness.
ANTICORROSIVE PAINTS
Linseed oil is used as vehicle with dry red lead, sublimed blue lead, zinc oxide and
iron oxide and zinc chromate as pigments. They are used for preservation of
structural steel work against acid fumes and adverse weather conditions.
ASBESTOS PAINTS
The main constituent is fibrous asbestos. These are used for stopping leakage in
metal roofs, painting of spouts, gutters, etc. and sometimes on the outer surface of
basement wall to prevent dampness. Asbestos paint is also called fire proof paint.
BITUMENOUS PAINTS
They are made of asphalt bitumen dissolved in mineral spirit or nephtha. They are
black in colour, but suitable colouring pigments may be added for desired colour.
They are alkali resistant and are used to paint exterior brick work, concrete and
plastered surfaces and to reduce the moisture permeability. Bitumenous paints are
also used over iron works under water.
BRONZE PAINTS
Generally a pigment such as aluminium or copper powder is used with a vehicle like
nitrocellulose lacquer. They are highly reflective and is applied over radiators.
CELLULOSE PAINTS
They are made by celluloid sheets, amyl-acetate substitute or nitrocotton dissolved
in petroleum. A cellulose paint hardens by evaporation of the thinning agent,
whereas an ordinary paint hardness by oxidation. Being very costly their use is
restricted to painting cars, ships and airplanes. The trade names are spray paint,
Ducco etc. Cellulose paints are not affected by adverse weather conditions.
CEMENT PAINTS
White or coloured Portland cement with (OPC minimum 65per cent) forms the base.
They are thinned with water during application. Proper curing is necessary for
strength and durability. Cement paints are durable, strong and display better water-
proofing qualities and are used on exterior surfaces of buildings.
ENAMEL PAINTS
Lead or zinc is added to varnish to make this sort of paint. To obtain a wide range of
uses, pigments are applied. Enamel paints dry to a durable, glossy finish that is easy
to clean. They are waterproof and chemically resistant, and they provide good
coverage and color retention. Some common uses of enamel paint are:
 Wood trims, flooring
 Interior exterior wall
 Stairs
 Wicker, masonry, glass, etc.
ENAMEL PAINTS
Emulsion paint consists of polyvinyl acetate and polystyrene as binding material.
Dries such as cobalt and manganese are also used in emulsion paint. They can be
water or oil-based. Talking about the pigment, it is added to achieve the desired
shade. The surface of emulsion paint can be cleaned easily, and it is fast drying as
well. After application, it offers durability and good color retention.
Emulsion paints are majorly used for interior walls, ceilings, or masonry work. Some
emulsions are also used for woodwork.
OIL PAINTS
This type of paint has a white lead base and is typically applied in three coats:
Primer, undercoat, and finish. This paint is available in two finishes: matte and
Glossy. Oil paint is a popular choice since it is long-lasting and inexpensive, and it is
simple to apply and clean. This paint is often used on walls, doors, windows, and
metal items.
Despite their numerous advantages, these also have significant drawbacks. Oil paint
does not work well in humid environments and takes longer to cure entirely.

VARNISH
Varnish is a nearly homogeneous solution of resin in oil, alcohol or turpentine. The
type of solvent depends upon the type of resin used. The oil dries with time and the
other solvents evaporate leaving behind a solid transparent resin film over the
surface. For rapid drying, driers such as letharage, lead accetate, etc. are used.

The objects of varnishing a surface are to:

 Brighten the appearance of the grain in wood.
 Render brilliancy to the painted surface.
 Protect painted surface from atmospheric actions.
Characteristics of an ideal varnish:
 It should render the surface glossy.
 It should dry rapidly and present a finished surface which is uniform in nature
and pleasing in appearance.
 The colour of varnish should not fade away when the surface is exposed to
atmospheric actions.
 The protecting film developed by varnish should be tough, hard and durable.
 It should not shrink or show cracks after drying.
Types of varnish
Varnishes are classified as oil, spar, flat, spirit and asphalt varnishes.
i. Oil varnish:
Uses linseed oil and takes about 24 hours to dry. Hard resins such as amber and
copal are dissolved in linseed oil. If the varnish is found unworkable, a small amount
of turpentine oil may be added. It is suitable both for interior and external works.
ii. Flat varnish:
Materials such as wax, metallic soap or finally divided silica when added to varnish
produce a dull appearance or drying and are known as flat varnish.
 iii. Spirit varnish:
Spirit varnish is resin of soft variety such as lac or shellac dissolved in spirit. The
examples are french polish, lacquer and shellac varnish. It dries very quickly. These
are not durable and are easily affected by weathering action.
iv. Spar varnish:
Spar varnish drives its name from its use on spars and other parts of ships. It gives
sticky effect in warm weather and is not used indoors.
v. Water varnish:
Water varnish is shellac dissolved in hot water to which enough quantity of either
ammonia, borax, soda or potash is added. These are used for varnishing maps and
pictures.
vi. Asphalt varnish:
Asphalt varnish is made by dissolving melted hard asphalt in linseed oil with a
thinner such as turpentine or petroleum spirit. It is used over shop fabricated steel
works.
DISTEMPER
Distemper is made with base as white chalk and thinner as water. Some colouring
pigments and glue are added. They are available in powder and paste forms and are
substantially cheaper than paints. They are most suitable for plastered surfaces as
well as white washed surfaces of interior walls. While using they are thinned by
adding water.
Characteristics of distemper
 The coatings are thick and more brittle compared to paints.
 They are workable, easy in application but less durable.
 The film being porous can be applied on even newly plastered surface.

Defects of paints
1. Blistering and Peeling
Blistering and peeling are defects in which swelling of the paint film occurs. The
swelling is caused by the formation of an air bubble under the paint film due to the
presence of moisture or oil or grease matter. If it is due to moisture then it is called
peeling and if it is due to oil and grease matter then it is called blistering.
 Fig 1: Blistering

2. Fading
Fading is the discoloration of the paint surface. This is mainly due to atmospheric
agencies such as sunlight, moisture, etc. To prevent fading or discoloration,
weathering resistant pigments should be used in the paint.

Fig 2: Fading

3. Grinning
The paint film should be opaque enough to cover the background surface. The
visibility of background due to insufficient opacity of paint film even after the final
coat is called as grinning.
 Fig 3: Grinning

4. Chalking
Chalking is the formation of powder on the painted surface. This is due to the use of
insufficient oil in the primer. It can be prevented by using sufficient oil in the primer,
applying paint at recommended spreading rate, etc.

Fig 4: Chalking

5. Running
When a thin layer of paint is coating on a glossy and smooth surface the paint may
run back and sometimes leaves small areas of surface uncovered. This defect is called
running.
 Fig 5: Running of Paint

6. Sagging
When a surface is to be painted with a thick layer of paint, the thick paint film may
run downwards and forms sagging of paint. It is similar to running but here the sag of
paint is very thick.

Fig 6: Sagging of Paint

7. Flaking
The detachment of paint film from the surface is called flaking. It occurs when the
bond between surface and paint film is poor. To prevent this, the surface should be
cleaned and rubbed with abrasive paper before applying paint.
 Fig 7: Flaking

8. Blooming
Blooming is the defect caused due to improper ventilation, weathering, defective
paint, etc. In this case, dull patches are formed on the painted surface.

Fig 8: Blooming

9. Wrinkling
Wrinkling occurs when a thick layer of paint is to be coated on the surface. In this case,
the paint film gets shrinks and develops crawls on the surface as shown in the picture.
It can be prevented by allowing the undercoat to dry completely prior to the
application of the final coat.

Fig 9: Wrinkling

10. Flashing
The formation of glossy patches on the painted surface is called flashing.

Fig10: Flashing

11. Saponification
Saponification of paints occurred when the painted surface is exposed to chemicals
such as alkalis. In this defect, soap patches are formed on the paint surface and paint
film gets peeled off from the surface.
 Fig 11: Saponification of Paint

12. Alligatoring
One layer of paint films sliding over the other one, when a hard paint is applied over
a soft one or vice versa.

Fig 12: Alligatoring

13. Checking
It is a mild form of cracking. If hair cracks produced enclose small area it is known as
crazing. In case the enclosed area is large the defects is called crocodiling.

14. Cracking
The cracks extend throughout the entire paint system extending right down to the
original surface.