Interactions between particles and solutes in water based paint

Dr. Maria Stjerndahl, AkzoNobel Functional Chemicals, Sweden

Poor colloidal stability of the particles dispersed in water borne paint will lead to decreased quality of the end product. In the wet paint it can be manifested for example as unfavorable consistency or problems with storage stability. For the dry coating, poor colloidal stability can result in streaks of different tones or give rise to different color intensities depending on the amount of force used during application.

In order to gain in depth knowledge about such stability problems, a study has been performed to address the interactions between particles and solutes in water borne paint. Using electron microscopy techniques, the appearance of different paints at particle level has been investigated for both wet and dry paint. Furthermore, adsorption studies of simplified model systems have been performed to determine the interaction of the latex and pigment surfaces with different dispersing agents, surfactants and thickeners.