By Mr.

Satwant Kumar vishwakarma

Paint Technologist,
Toyo Springs limited
• Quality control is a procedure/set of procedures
carried out to ensure that a manufactured
product/performed service adheres to a defined
set of criteria/standard values, before, during
and after manufacturing, to ensure customer
satisfaction and conformance with statutory
regulations.
• The raw materials, manufacturing process and
finished products undergo stringent QC checks.
• Paints can be defined as a liquid, paste, or powder products which
when applied on a substrate, dries to form a thin layer and serves
for informative, decorative and protective purposes.
• Paints is a mixture (not a compound).
• Paint is different from DYE.
• The term colorant is often used for both Dyes and Pigments. i.e.
substances that impart colour.
• Dyes are chemicals /organic compounds, that are dissolved in a
medium, to impart colour and are absorbed into the material to
which they are applied.
• Coating is a general term denoting a material that is applied to a
surface (e.g. Paint, Varnish)
• Paint is pigmented, while varnish refers to clear lacquer/pigment-
free coating.
• Paints is made up of numerous components
which are PEARS. i.e.
• Pigment
• Extender
• Additives
• Resins/Binder
• Solvent
• Pigments are responsible for colour, covering
power and anti-corrosive properties.
• Pigments are finely ground crystalline solids
that are dispersed/ suspended in the paint.
They may be organic, in-organic and metallic.
• The most widely used pigment is TiO2, due to
its excellent hiding property. Other e.g. are
carbon black, FeO, CdS for red, metallic salts
for yellow and orange.
• Extenders, also known as Fillers are largely finely
ground crystalline solids that are dispersed in
the paint, added to reduce cost of production,
by replacing expensive pigments in paint.
• Fillers give the paint body / make the paint
bulky and improves flow ( i.e. less sagging on
application).
• They are used as matting agents (control gloss
level), to provide matt or semi-gloss finishes e.g.
are CaCO3, kaolin, talc, clay (Al silicates), sand,
marble dust etc.
• Additives are added to modify certain properties
of paint. Examples are:
• Driers – accelerate drying of paints. They are
basically metals, which catalyses the oxidation
and polymerization of film in solvent-based
paints. E.g. Pb, Ca, Co, Mn driers. However, Pb is
no longer in use due to high toxicity; but
zirconium is now used instead.
• Anti-settling Agent - to prevent pigment settling.
• Anti-Skinning Agent- control skinning (ensures
paint do not skin). i.e. oximes
• Binder is a polymeric substance, mostly gummy in
nature. They bind components together & make it
stay on the substrate.
• Binder is the actual film-forming component of a
paint.
• Binders improve the paints resistance to moisture
permeability, sunlight exposure, staining, cracking,
damage from abrasion & adhesion to the surface.
• Binder/Resin may be natural or synthetic.
• Examples of natural resins are: linseed oil, soya beans
oil, coconut oil.
• Examples of popular synthetic resins are: Alkyds,
Acrylics, Epoxies, Polyurethane etc.
• Alkyd resins: most commonly used in solvent-
based paints, e.g. gloss paints, heat cured
stoving enamel paints.
• Poly Vinyl Acetate & Acrylic binders: are water-
based binders.
• Epoxy resins: Epoxy resins are applied as base –
coats, which prevents corrosion (tanks (fuel)and
prevents friction (factory floor). Epoxy resins are
also useful in marine application.
• Polyurethanes: Polyurethane - based paints are
tough, with durable films that retain their gloss & are
easy to clean. Polyurethane paints are applied as
topcoats and are often used for painting aircraft.
• ◦Silicon resin: are used for chiming machine
(generates lots of heat)
• Polyester resin: used for roofing sheet.
• Note: Epoxies/ Polyurethane paints are two-packed
coatings that polymerize by way of a chemical
reaction initiated by mixing the paint & curing
agent/hardener at the point of use and which cure by
forming a hard plastic structure.
• Solvent is also known as CARRIER / DILUENT /THINNER
• Solvents are low viscosity, volatile liquids.
• They dissolve the binder & hold it in suspension with
the paints’ pigment.
• Ensures even-mixing of the paint components& makes
the paint easy to apply.
• They are used to reduce the viscosity of paint for better
flow & application.
• Examples of solvents are water, MEK- methyl-ethyl-
ketone, MIBK- methyl- iso -butyl- ketone, Xylene,
Toluene, Butyl-acetate, Butyl-glycol, kerosene. e.t.c.
• The first step in making oil-based paint involves
mixing the pigment/fillers with little resin, little
solvent, wetting and dispersing agent to form a paste.
• It is then routed into a sand mill/grinding machine (a
large cylinder that agitates/grinds the pigment/filler
particles, making them smaller and dispersing them
throughout the mixture).
• After about 30minutes, the fineness of grind is
checked by the Quality Control Personnel. If okay, the
paint is discharged & made-up. At this stage, the
remaining raw materials yet to be added are added.
• Thinning & Tinting then starts.
• Quality Control parameters (viscosity, S.G,
Colour, Opacity, drying, gloss/sheen, NVC etc.)
are checked to ensure conformance with the set
standard.
• Once the paint is certified okay by QC, it is then
PASSED & PACKED as finished product. However,
QC has to ensure that packaging containers are
properly labelled, free from dirt and that
products are packed to level.
• Specific gravity
• Dispersion/ Fineness of Grind
• Viscosity determined by Ford Cup/B4 cup (seconds) for low
viscous products and Rotothinner (Poises) for highly viscous
products.
• Drying
• Opacity/ Hiding power is measured by painting it over a black
surface and a white surface. The ratio of coverage on the black
surface to coverage on the white surface is then determined.
• Non-volatile matter
• Gloss/Sheen is measured by determining the amount of reflected
light given off a painted surface, using a Gloss meter
• Adhesion is tested by making a crosshatch on
a dried paint surface. A piece of tape is
applied to the crosshatch, and then pulled
off. A good paint will remain on the surface.
• Resistance to soapy water is tested by a
machine that rubs a soapy brush over the
paint's surface. – Wet Abrasion Scrub Tester
S/N PAINT DEFECT CAUSES
1 SETTLING LOW DISPERSION