PAINTS AND VARNISHES-I

Paint and Varnish is a liquid surface coating. On drying these form a thin film on the
painted surface. These are used to protect metals and timber from weathering effects,
heat, moisture, corrosive effects etc. Paints are also applied to plastered and concrete
surfaces to improve their appearance.

CLASSIFICATION

Paints in common use are classified as oil paints, water paints, cement paints,
bituminous paints etc. There are some "special paints" used for special purposes e.g. heat
resisting or fire resistant paints, chlorinated rubber paints (for protection against acid
fumes etc.), luminous paints (for visibility of painted surfaces in the dark) etc.

COMPOSITION OF OIL PAINTS

Oil paints consist essentially of Base, Vehicle (always an oil, generally raw or boiled
linseed oil), pigments, a solvent or thinner, a drier and inert filler.
By suitable variation of the type and proportion of the various constituents the paints can
be made dry, glossy or matt, as desired. Other properties such as permeability to water
could also be varied accordingly. All the possible constituents of paints are described
below:
Base
The base, usually a metallic oxide, is the principal constituent of the paint. It makes the
paint film opaque and possesses binding properties, which reduce the shrinkage cracks in
the film on drying. Some of the examples of base are white lead (suitable for wood
surfaces), red lead (suitable for metal/iron surfaces as well as for providing a priming coat
to wood surfaces), zinc white (a smooth, transparent & non-poisonous and less durable),
iron oxide (effective in preventing rusting of iron surfaces and is cheap & durable), which
is generally used for priming coat of iron surfaces, aluminium powder, etc. Lead based
paints are, in general, affected by atmosphere and are not recommended for final coats.
Zinc white is weather resistant. Lithopone (barium sulphate chemically combined with zinc
sulphide) is used for inside/ interior works.
Vehicle
Vehicle is an oil to which the base is mixed, also known as binder. It holds the constituents
of paint in suspension and helps in spreading the paint over the surface to be painted. It
imparts durability, toughness & water proofing properties to the paint film as well as
resistance to weathering & gloss to the painted surface and forms the body of the paint.
Oils most commonly used as vehicles are: Linseed oil, Poppy oil, Nut oil and Tung oil.
Linseed oil: It is the most widely used vehicle for all ordinary painting works. It is used
either in raw or boiled form.

Tung oil: It is far superior to linseed oil and used for preparing superior paints.

Poppy oil: This oil is prepared from poppy seeds. It dries slowly and its colours are long
lasting. It is used for making paints of delicate colours.
Nut oil: This oil is extracted from ordinary walnuts. It is nearly colourless and dries
rapidly. It does not provide a durable finish and usually used for ordinary works.
Pigments
Pigments are used to hide the surface imperfections and to impart the desired colour.
These protect the paint film by reflecting the destructive ultra violet rays of Sun. These
also improve the impermeability of the paint film and enhance its resistance to
weathering actions, affect the flow characteristics making it possible to paint vertical and
uneven surfaces smoothly. Pigments are finely ground mineral organic substances or
metal powders. Their general properties are covering power, colouring capacity, fineness,
fire resistance, chemical stability and weather resistance. The fine particles of the
pigments have a reinforcing effect on the paint film. Commonly used pigments are:
blacks, blues, yellows, greens, browns, reds etc.
Solvent or Thinner
Solvents are the oils used to thin the paints, increase the spread, and are also known as
thinners. These make the paint of workable consistency and evaporate during drying of
the film. The commonly used thinning agents are petroleum, spirit, and turpentine oil.
Turpentine is extensively used because of high solvent power, excellent flattening
properties and ideal rate of evaporation. An excessive use of thinner dulls the colours &
gloss of linseed oil, reduce the protective layer of coating.
Driers
Driers, also known as plasticizers, are chemicals added to paints to quicken the drying of
vehicles. Linseed oil dries by absorbing oxygen and it could be expedited by adding
substances rich in oxygen. The quantity of drier is limited to 8 percent, excess of it affects
the elasticity of paint leading to flaking failure. Some of the commonly used driers are as
follows:
Litharge: It is the most commonly used drier. It is especially used for lead paints but not
used for finishing coats.

Red lead: It is less powerful than litharge and is used only when it does not affect the tint.

Lead acetate: When ground in oil, it is used for lighter tints.

Manganese dioxide: It gives quick effect but can be used only for deep tints because of its
darker colour.
Zinc sulphate: It is more costly and never used in paints with lead base.

Inert fillers
Fillers are adulterants mixed to replace the base partially thus bringing down the overall
cost, reduce the weight and increase the durability of the paint. Adulterants also help to
reduce cracking of dry paint and sometimes help to keep the pigment in suspension.
Barium sulphate, calcium carbonate, magnesium silicate and silica are few examples. The
best adulterant is barium sulphate. Silica is used only in the undercoats so as to take the
advantage of its roughness in development of bond with the next coat.
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD PAINT

a) It should have a good body or spreading power.

b) It should work smoothly and freely and be capable of being laid in a thin coat with the
brush or roller.
c) It should form a film on drying which is durable, tough and resistant to wear & tear.
d) Colour of paint should not fade or change.
e) It should not crack on drying.
f) It should give a smooth and pleasing appearance showing no brush marks on drying.
g) It should dry quickly.

PREPARATION OF PAINT

The base is ground in a vehicle to the consistency of paste. Linseed oil, is intermittently
added to the paste in small quantities and the mixture is stirred with a wooden puddle. In
case of coloured paints, the pigment is mixed with linseed oil separately and the paste
is formed as explained above. Driers are also ground separately in linseed oil. The three
pastes so prepared are mixed and a little linseed oil is added further to soften the paste.
The mixture is continuously stirred till a consistency of cream is obtained. The mixture is
thereafter strained through a sieve. The paint is now ready for use. The paint so prepared
can be used by adding oil or a thinner to make it of workable consistency before application.
The flow diagram of commercial production of paints is as follow:
The factors affecting the quality of paint so prepared are the quality of ingredients,
grinding, mixing & proportioning, straining, packing, etc. Ready mixed paints are also
available in the market with different trade names.

COVERING POWER OF PAINTS

The covering power is the capacity of a given quantity of the paint of the suitable
consistency for application, to cover the extent of area.
The covering power, also known as spreading capacity of paints and varnish depends
upon the type of paint and its constituents, type of surface to be painted, and number of
coats to be applied. The area covered by different paints is given in the following Table.
Covering Capacities of Paints

S.No. Type of paint or varnish Type of surface Area covered in sq.m/liter

1. Lead priming coat Wood work 10

Metal work 11
2. Under coat Flat surface 11
3. Gloss paint Flat surface 11
4. Enamel Flat surface 11
5. Varnish (first coat) Flat surface 12
6. Varnish (second coat) Flat surface 15

ENAMELS

Enamels are oil based paints, usually used for metal surfaces, and consist of base like
zinc oxide, etc. ground in varnish. Desired colouring pigments may be added. Enamels dry
slowly leaving a hard tough and elastic film which is smooth and durable. Enamel painted
surfaces are washable and are not affected by acids, alkalies, gases or steam. These can
be made in any tint, however delicate. Even though these are costly than ordinary paints,
yet because of their durability, these ultimately prove to be more economical. These are
equally good for use both on external and internal works.

DISTEMPERS

These are water based paints usually used for the treatment of plastered masonry walls or
concrete surfaces. These are also known as water paints. Distemper is made with base as
white chalk and thinner as water. Some colouring pigments and glue are added. These
are available in powder & paste forms. In market a number of distempers are available. All
prepared distempers are mixed with water only before being used. As the distemper is
affected by weather and comes off, if washed, so its use is restricted only to interior
surfaces/works. It forms a cheap, durable and easy finish. Distempers give a good finish
but are likely to flake when subjected to alternate wetting and drying. These should be
applied in dry weather after the surface has been cleaned and dried. Distempers are
applied in the following manner:

Preparation of Surface: The surface is thoroughly rubbed and cleaned. In case of a

new plastered surface, the surface is kept exposed to weather for drying before the
application of distemper. If an existing (old) distempered surface is to be redone, surface
is cleaned with profuse watering. The efflorescence and patches, if any, should be wiped
out by a clean cloth. Cracks, etc. if any, should be filled with putty.
Priming Coat: A priming coat as recommended by the manufacturer is applied on
the prepared surface.

Final Coat: Two or three coats of distemper are applied. Each coat should be applied
only after the previous coat has dried.

WHITE WASH OR COLOUR WASH

Fresh lime slaked with water is mixed thoroughly with water in a tub and then screened
through a fine & clean cloth. Thereafter glue, dissolved in water, is added to it. The
surface to be painted is cleaned and white wash is applied with jute brushes. A white
wash when mixed with colouring pigment is called colour wash.
Lime is toxic for germs, therefore white wash is good from hygiene considerations. A
bright surface is provided at a very low cost. These are generally recommended for low
class houses; ceilings are white washed and walls are generally colour washed.
Preparation of surface
Surface to be white washed should be clean, smooth and dry. In case of re-white washing,
the old surface should be thoroughly cleaned and cleared of all foreign matter. Loose
white wash should be scrapped. All holes should be made good, nails removed and other
repairs done before application of white wash. Nail holes and patches caused by the
removal of old while wash scales should be made good with lime putty. Greasy spots
should be cleaned and rubbed. All new patches should be given an extra coat of
white/colour wash after they have dried before regular white/colour wash is commenced.

MISCELLANEOUS PAINTS

Plastic Emulsion Paints are essentially a dispersion of rubber-like resin polystyrene,

and polyvinyl acetate in water and are prepared by grinding suitable pigments (titanium
dioxide) in an emulsion of water (vehicle) and film forming drier. Sometimes oil is used as
vehicle. In the former case, the emulsifying agents are sodium or ammonium soaps
whereas in the later case, metallic soaps of magnesium or zinc are used. Stabilizers
such as proteins are added to impart chemical resistance to the emulsion. These paints
should become surface dry within 15 minutes and hard dry within 4 hours and are alkali
resistant. Plastic emulsion paints are useful in porous and/or wet surface. The emulsion
coats are less odorous, non-inflammable, quick drying and easier to apply than other
paints. There are costly than the distempers and usually used in superior buildings.

Aluminium Paints consist of aluminium powder (as base) held in suspension by

varnish. These 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
provides a very attractive appearance to the surface and painted surface is visible
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even in darkness. Aluminium paints have high dispersive property—over 200m /liter.

Anti-corrosive Paints: Linseed oil is used as vehicle with dry red lead, sublimed blue
lead, zinc oxide, iron oxide and zinc chromate as pigments. These are used for
preservation of structural steel works against acid fumes and adverse weather
conditions. The anti-corrosive paints obstruct the corrosion by reducing the direct
access of air and water to the metal. These paints should have quick drying and
hardening properties.

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
resistant paint.

Bituminous Paints are made of asphalt bitumen dissolved in mineral spirit or naphtha.
These are black in colour, but suitable colouring pigments may be added for desired
colour. These are alkali resistant and are used to paint exterior brick work, concrete and
plastered surfaces to reduce the moisture penetration. Bituminous paints are also used
over iron works under water. When exposed to sunlight, these deteriorate very rapidly.

Bronze Paints: Generally a pigment such as aluminium or copper powder is used

with a vehicle like nitrocellulose lacquer. These are highly reflective and are applied
over radiators.

Cellulose Paints are made by celluloid sheets or nitro cotton dissolved in petroleum, also
known as lacquers. These are solutions of natural or synthetic resin in a volatile solvent
and obtained by dissolving resin & film forming nitrocellulose or shellac in a solvent.
Castor oil is also added to improve adhesion, toughness and smoothness of the paint
film. A cellulose paint hardens by evaporation of the thinning agent, whereas an ordinary
paint hardness by oxidation. Being costly, their use is restricted to painting cars, ships and
aircrafts. The trade names are spray paint, duco paint etc. Cellulose paints are not
affected by adverse weather conditions.

Cement Based Paints: White or coloured Portland cement with OPC minimum 65%,
forms the base. These are thinned with water during application. Proper curing is
necessary to get the strength and durability. Cement paints are durable, strong and
display better water-proofing qualities and are used on exterior surfaces of buildings.
Mixed with boiled linseed oil, these are also used over corrugated iron sheets. To get
good results, an aqueous solution of sodium silicate and zinc sulphate is applied as
primary coat on the surface to be painted.

Rubber Based Paints: Rubber treated with chlorine gas is dissolved in solvent and
desired colouring pigment is added. These paints are resistant to acid, alkalies and
dampness. Rubber based paints are used over concrete and cement plastered
surfaces.

Plastic Paints have plastics as base with water as thinner. These have high covering
capacity and give a neat, decorative and pleasing appearance to the surface. Owing to
their high cost, the plastic paints are mainly used for interiors of auditoriums, showrooms,
modern houses, offices etc. A typical composition of one liter of plastic paint is 0.20 kg of
binder, 1.5 kg of pigment, 0.10 kg of other solids and 0.60 kg of water. On drying,
the water evaporates leaving behind a smooth film. One liter of plastic paint covers about
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15 m of wall surface per coat.