The coatings and paints you see on walls and other painted surfaces are not just paints or coatings. They have had other chemicals added to them which boost their inherent properties and/or provide them with new ones. These chemicals are referred to as additives.
What is Paint and Coating Additives?
To make paints or coatings appropriate for particular applications, we add ingredients. This alters their physical and chemical properties. There are more than 20 paint additivesthat include wetting agents, coupling agents, and thickeners.
Although non-industrial coatings may not carry a lot of duties aside from aesthetics, industrial coatings are often purpose-driven. Before a coating is chosen for industrial applications, it must have features that are suitable for the application. The majority of the time however, the coatings that come closest to satisfying the requirements of their intended applications have a few crucial features. With additives, we can tailor these paints and coatings to fit our needs, and much more.
For example, corrosion inhibitors made of water are substances which help marine coatings shield the metals against corrosion. Thanks to the many IRO Coating Additives options, we can have coatings that are stronger and algae-resistant, as well as rapid drying, or antifungal paints.
The Importance of Additives in Paints and Coatings
Here are a few of the reasons additives in coatings or paints are essential:
Stain Resistance
Stains on paints are a reason why a surface painted with paint can lose its appeal. Paints and coatings can contain tiny pores that can cause paint to discolor, making it difficult for the paint particles to be removed. However, some IRO Coating Additives seal up the pores paints might contain. The particles that cause staining are no longer able to adhere to paint and are easily cleaned off.
Leveling
The way a coating is leveled is crucial to its longevity on the target surface. This is because the substances that make up coatings usually have irregular shapes and are liable to make the coated surface look rough when applied. This occurs when the paint surface doesn't flow well or dries too quickly. And it may also result in the development of bubbles or fish eyes that appear on the surface. If you expect a knockout post about powder coating additives, click over here.
A solution to this is the use of paint leveling additives, which make the coating flow more fluidly and slowly. So, no surface is covered too thinly and the effects of uneven leveling are kept from happening.
Hardness
A paint or coating's hardness makes it resist to scratching and marking. These kinds of coatings are mostly needed in applications where painted objects are susceptible to being damaged. These paints can withstand abuse by adding hardening ingredients.
Gloss
Paints can be modified to be either more or less glossy depending on the application. They accomplish this by using some paint additives.
Corrosion resistance
To protect the substrates, corrosion inhibitory additives are commonly used in coatings that will be applied to the surfaces with the highest risk of corrosion. Some of these substrates include metals that are used in the construction of marine products.