Material & Metalurgi

Organic Coatings: Composition

*Source: SSPC Chapter 1.5

Component categories:
i. Three basic components: solvent,
binder, and pigment
ii. Two basic components: The
vehicle or liquid component
(solvent and binder) and solid
phase (insoluble pigment)

• To be sure, not all organic coatings contain all three components; however, binders are
always necessary for film formation. For example, there are clear, pigment-free coatings
and also solvent-free (100% solids) coatings, but never binder-free organic coatings.
• In multi-packaged systems, the binder, solvent, and pigment are divided into parts as
necessary for best storage and later use.

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 Components of Organic Coatings
• Because only the solvent portion of coatings is lost during most
curing reactions, the remaining binder and pigment are
sometimes called the coating solids.
• The percent of coating solids by volume directly affects the
coating film thickness and thus the level of barrier protection
provided.
• Liquid-applied organic coatings are supplied in three basic forms:
• solvent-borne,
• water-borne, and
• solvent/water-free → Solvent/water-free coatings are typified by the
so-called 100% solids epoxy systems which have no solvent
evaporation.

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 Binder
• The binder, often called polymer or resin, is the film-forming
component of the coating. It is usually a high molecular
weight polymer (i.e., a large molecule with repeating
structural units).
• Examples of common binders are alkyd, acrylic, and epoxy
polymers.
• The binder wets the surfaces of pigment particles and binds
them to each other and to the substrate. The binder is
responsible for most of the coating properties.

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 Because of this, generic coatings are generally classified by
their type of binder. Important properties imparted to the
coating by the binder include:
• Mechanism and time of curing
• Performance in different environments
• Adhesion to various substrates
• Compatibility with other coatings
• Flexibility and toughness
• Exterior weathering
• Ease of application, top-coating, and repair

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 Solvent
• Organic solvents are used to dissolve binder materials
and/or reduce coating viscosity to permit easier coating
application.
• They may also control leveling, drying, durability, and
adhesion. Binders that are more insoluble require stronger
solvents or more solvent to dissolve them.
• Solvent blends rather than single solvents are generally used
to control evaporation and film formation.

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 • As coatings containing organic solvent dry, the solvent evaporates into
the atmosphere. Virtually all of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
that comprise the organic solvent portion of coatings react in sunlight to
form ozone, an air pollutant.
• In certain geographical areas in the U.S. and elsewhere, there are
restrictions on the VOC content of coatings. This is necessary to assist in
reducing existing air pollution to an acceptable level.
• In water-borne coatings, the binder is dispersed in water using wetting
agents to obtain a stable dispersion.
• They frequently also contain organic co-solvents to obtain desired film
formation, drying properties, or other performance properties.

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 Pigment
• The pigment is the heavier, solid portion of the coating. Inorganic
pigments derived from natural earth materials such as red iron oxide
tend to be more resistant to deterioration (i.e., fading) by the sun’s
ultraviolet light than synthetic organic pigments.
• Pigments can impart to coatings such important properties as:
• Opacity
• Color
• Corrosion resistance
• Flow properties for ease of application
• Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and moisture resistance
• Level of gloss
• Reinforcement of film and film build
• Adhesion

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 Additive
• Additives impart special properties to the coating. They are considered
to be part of the binder or pigment component depending on whether
they are present in the liquid or solid phase (i.e., soluble or insoluble in
the liquid phase).
• Examples of additives incorporated into the wet paint during
manufacture are:
• Wetting agents to aid in dispersing water-borne coatings
• Driers to accelerate the curing of oil-base coatings
• Plasticizers to impart flexibility to the cured film
• Additives to prevent settling, skinning, or other deterioration of the wet paint
during storage
• Biocides for stability in cans during storage
• Mildewcides to control the growth of mildew on the dry film
• Rheological modifiers to improve application properties

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 Material & Metalurgi

Film Formation
 Terms Commonly Used to Describe Films and
Their Formation
• Curing
• Liquid coatings are converted into solid films
• Curing is defined by SSPC’s Protective Coatings Glossary as “the process of changing
the properties of a paint from its liquid state into a dry, stable, solid protective film
by chemical reaction with oxygen, moisture, or chemical additives, or by application
of heat or radiation.”
• If this definition is followed strictly, coating films that are deposited from
solution or dispersion by evaporation of organic solvent or water without
chemical change upon drying do not cure.
• Drying vs curing
• “Drying” is merely loss of solvent and/or water, which may or may not result in the
formation of a protective film.
• “Curing,” on the other hand, always produces a protective film.

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 Polymer/plastics
• Type “thermoplastic” and “thermosetting.”
• “thermoplastic” referred to materials that could generally be
softened by heating and would harden (or become more brittle)
when cooled.
• “thermosetting” referred to materials that underwent a chemical
change when heated and, once cured, would not be softened by
heating.

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 Non – convertible vs convertible
• A non-convertible coating contains a resin that does not change
chemically during film formation.
• Evaporation of organic solvent
• Coalescence of latex particles
• Phase change
• Example: cellulose, nitrocellulose, chlorinated rubber, vinyl rubber
• A convertible coating contains a resin or resin-forming component that
undergoes chemical changes during film formation.
• Air oxidation (polymerization) of unsaturated drying oils
• Chemical reaction of components
• Reaction with moisture
• Example: Alkyds, amino resin, epoxy resin, polyurethane resin, thermosetting
acrylic ets.

It should be noted that water-borne zinc-rich coatings are unusual in that their films cure by
the inorganic binder reacting with carbon dioxide in the air.
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 Film Formation and Coating Solubility
As thermosetting become much greater in molecular weight, they
tend to become less soluble in organic solvents. Solubility in a
strong solvent such as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) can be used to
distinguish between some general coating types as shown below:
• Coatings Soluble in MEK
• Lacquers
• Latex Products
• Oil-Base Products (initially)
• Coatings Slightly Soluble in MEK
• Chemically reacting products
• Oil-Base Products (after much aging) atings cross-link to

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 Water-borne coatings
• Several other types of water-borne coatings (coatings with water as the
main carrier), generally classified as:
• Water-soluble
• Water-reducible
• Water-dispersible
• Of these types, only the latter two may be practical for protection of
metals. In severe environments, they are typically less durable than
corresponding solvent-borne types. Currently available water soluble
coatings are not durable enough for this type of service.
• For example, alkyd and epoxy formulations are available in either
water-reducible or dispersion forms, and may be used where low VOC
content is required. The alkyd films cure by air oxidation, and the
epoxies cure by chemical reaction between components.

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 Film formation process in latex emulsion paint

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 Curing *1
• Coatings that Cure by Phase Change
• Some coatings are heated until they fuse (melt) and then applied hot.
When they cool, they harden to form a film. Examples are hot-applied
coal tar pitch coatings and thermoplastic powder coatings.
• Convertible coating
• There are many different types of convertible coatings. In general, after
curing, these are insoluble in common organic solvents. However, as
discussed below, certain types of convertible (thermosetting) coatings
such as air-oxidizing coatings (oil-base paints) are solvent-soluble after
initial curing, becoming less soluble only with additional time, as
polymer cross-linking continues.3

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 Curing *2
• Coatings that Cure by Air-Oxidation of Drying Oils
• film formation takes place as oxygen from the air reacts with
unsaturated fatty acids in the drying oils (usually vegetable oils).
This causes cross-linking, which forms a higher-molecular weight
solid product.
• Metallic driers such as cobalt and manganese salts of organic acids
are usually incorporated into formulations of drying oil coatings to
accelerate this normally

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 Curing *3
• Coatings that cure by air-oxidation of drying oils
• Unmodified drying oils
• Oil-modified alkyds
• Silicone alkyds
• Epoxy esters
• Oil-modified polyurethanes (uralkyds)
• Oleoresinous phenolics
• Coatings that cure by air-oxidation of drying oils wet surfaces very well
and so do not require as high a level of surface cleanliness as do other
coatings.
• Their films generally provide good protection in mild atmospheric
environments, but they have limited durability in chemical
environments, particularly alkaline environments.

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 Curing *4
• Coatings That Cure by Chemical Reaction Between Components
• usually the most durable but have more stringent surface preparation
and application requirements than other generic types.
• They are generally packaged in two or more separate containers that
are mixed together to initiate their curing reaction. Components must
be combined in the specified proportions for which they were
formulated and in the manner specified by the supplier in order to
achieve complete curing to a film with optimum properties.
Sometimes, an “induction period” (also referred to a “sweat-in time”) is
required

• Epoxies
• Coal tar epoxies
• Polyurethanes
• Polyesters
• Polyureas
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 Notes
• Polyurethanes are also available in a one component form (so-
called moisture curing polyurethanes)
• Some thermosetting coatings (e.g., baked phenolics and powder
coatings) require heat for curing.
• Convertible coatings usually have good chemical and solvent-
resistance, but they are difficult to topcoat when fully cured,
because topcoat solvent cannot “bite” into them to bond tightly.
• Topcoats therefore should be applied to convertible coatings
before the undercoat within the top coating time window
specified by the manufacturer.

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 Summary
• The three basic components of coatings are solvent, binder,
and pigment.
• The binder is the film forming component of the coating.
• The solvent is used to dissolve the binder materials and/or modify
coating viscosity.
• The pigment is the solid portion of the coating. It can impart a
variety of performance properties to the coating. A coating may
also contain additives that impart other special properties to it.

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 • There are two ways to describe coating films formation
• Non – convertible or thermoplastics
• Those that form protective films by simple evaporation of organic solvent or
water without chemical change. They are generally solvent soluble and include
lacquers and latex coatings.
• Convertible or thermosetting
• Those coatings that form protective films by chemical change
• The chemical change may be air oxidation of unsaturated drying oils, reaction
with another coating component or water or carbon dioxide in the air. Some
types of chemical change require heating.
• Convertible products include modified and unmodified drying oils, epoxies, coal
tar epoxies, polyurethanes, polyesters, polyurea, siloxanes, and inorganic zinc-
rich coatings. Their cured films are generally solvent insoluble.

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