_Solvents__ Solvents are added to paints to reduce the viscosity and ease application properties. The solvents used in paints have to fulfil various other requirements, for example if a solvent evaporates away too quickly the film will not dry evenly, if it evaporates too slowly drying will be protracted and on vertical surfaces the paint is likely to sag. The four important properties of a solvent are: 1 Solvent strength: Low molecular weight solvents are stronger than high “molecular weight solvents |, strong binders such” as epoxies and ‘polyurethanes, need strong solvents to cut or separate the molecules. Hence Ketones and aromatics are used for these materials. Natural resins don't have the same attraction between the molecules and therefore need weaker solvents, higher molecular weight, such as aliphatics. 2 _Evaparation_rate:—The evaporation rate governs at what point the ( polymerisation starts. For decorative materials a long wet edge time is needed, “SO a long slow evaporation rate is needed, otherwise dragging and ropiness would occur when joining area to area. Industrial coatings need to dry quickly for protection and so that further coat can be applied 3 _Flash point: The flash point of a solvent is a safety consideration. Roughly “defined as “the minimum temperature of the solvent at which the vapours given off are flammable if a source of ignition is introduced’. The higher the flash Point, the safer the solvent. 4 Toxicity: Solvents, especially modem solvents, are substances hazardous to health, and therefore have predetermined concentrations to which humans can be safely exposed. These limits are expressed in parts per million, ppm Other additives Other than the main constituents of a paint viz, binder, solvent, pigment and extenders, there are approximately fifty other materials which can be added to give other, or alter existing properties. These can be grouped into aids to manufacture, aids to storage, aids to application, aids to film formation, aids to film curing, and others. Some are used more than others, among them being. {Anti settling agents An anti settling agent is an gid to sheff life. It is a thixotrope, a thickener, which also allows a higher film thickness. Thixotropic paints are jelly paints, non-drip, and if stirred change to normal liquid consistency. When left they slowly revert to thixotropic consistency. Thixotropic_agentsare—bentones_and waxes, and help keep solid particulate Constituents in dispersion within the paint. ie stop settlement. Rev 2 January 2010 TWI wonocenne Paint Constituents COM eens Copyright © TWI Ltd 2010 sonmna TacmoLooyA plasticiser basically gives paint flexibility and reduces brittleness and therefore needs to be compatible with the binder and have’a very low volatility in order to stay in the film for a long time. Alkyd re s_used extensively in_chlorinated rubber binders, but for natural resins and their isomers non drying oils are used, saturated oils, which will not polymerise. Castor oll, coconut ojl_and some palm oils fal into this wateaoy. min Applicatio ty “Difers— Also_known_as oxidants, used in oxidising oils and resins, These are heavy metal salts, rich in oxygen, which are added to the paint during manufacture. Instead of relying on atmospheric Oxygen penetrating the paint layer, the oxygen is already there, to allow even through drying of the film. Common salts are octoates or naphthanates of cobalt, manganese and zirconium eg cobalt naphthanate. (The acids producing the salts from the heavy metals are gctoic acid and naphthanic 294) ailguac even through Bryag Bh oxtdicig Libor » Anti skinning ti skinning agents are also known as anti oxidants. These are added to oxidising paints to retard _the formation of a skin on the surface of the paint. If a skin forms it cannot be stirred back into a solution, and must be removed. Because the anti oxidant works against the oxidant they are added in very small controlled amounts and are liquids usually. eg methyl ethy! ke! Retwred Hye formation dy curface kins: Rev 2 January 2010 Cu Paint Constituents, TW wonccene Copyright © TWI Ltd 2010 JOINING TECHNOLOGY