Hello friends, welcome to my blog; In this publication I will talk about a material that is widely used in architecture such as paints, in the market there is a huge diversity with very diverse characteristics, so sometimes it is difficult to classify them, taking into account all aspects . Here I will comment on the basics of architectural paints, composition, solvents, additives, among other properties that are very important when cataloging a painting.

The paint is generally composed of: resin, solvent pigments and additives; The resin is a film-forming substance, which serves as a support for the other components of the paint, determines very important properties such as: chemical resistance, drying, adherence, color retention, durability, gloss, among others.

The pigments are solid particles crushed to their minimum expression and insoluble in the dispersion vehicle, which in this case is the resin; Pigments are classified as active, which are mainly characterized by providing color to the paint, and inert, which are fillers and provide improvements in the characteristics of the paint. When these pigments are moistened, they become translucent. The pigments are mixed with the resins to form a substance that, when applied to a surface, forms a colored or transparent film, however their particular characteristics require solvents, additives and an adequate mixing process that avoids the agglomeration of pigments for a correct dispersion and be suitable for storage and later use.

Solvents are transparent liquid substances that serve to solubilize a resin or dilute a paint, they are classified as active solvents, which are used in the manufacture of the paint when dissolving the resin, they are generally esters and ketones; Co-solvents used to help the active solvent increase solvency power are generally alcohols. And the thinners (Thinner, Aliphatic Adjuster, Turpentine, Toluene) that serve to reduce the viscosity of the paint and thus facilitate its application, are generally hydrocarbons.

Additives are chemical substances that serve to improve or correct the properties of paints, some of the most common are: defoamers, dispersants, levelers, bactericides and anti-decanters.

The application methods are: With a brush, this method is useful for painting small elements and spaces that are difficult to access for other tools, such as corners, and waste is minimal, however, painting large surfaces with a brush is a slow process and therefore expensive, by hand. of work and in general leaves very perceptible irregularities in the coating.

With roller; this method is suitable for covering large areas, especially flat surfaces, the waste is a little higher than using a brush, but it is compensated by the high performance for the speed of application and for achieving a more uniform finish, it has limitations such as the impossibility of reaching corners and paint uneven surfaces.

The spray gun; It is a very versatile method since it allows reaching the most difficult to access areas and can cover large areas in a short time with an excellent finish. It has the disadvantage of wasting material that can range between 25 and 35 percent when air is used. compressed and between 5 and 15 percent for airless equipment. Another disadvantage is the risk to the health of the operator even with protective equipment on.

Properties: Some of the properties of paints are: The covering power; which is the ability of the dry paint film to cover a substrate with a black and white background. Chemical resistance is the ability of the dry paint film to resist attack by different chemicals, adhesion is the ability of the dry paint film to adhere to a substrate. Viscosity, sandability, solids content, finish or gloss, dryness to the touch, these and many other properties are determined by means of laboratory tests that are carried out at the request of manufacturers to control the quality of their products.

I hope the information is useful when making a decision, do not forget to support me and we will read next time, bye. All images including schematics, photos and models are mine