Paint is a simple mixture of ingredients including pigments, a binder and a diluent, or thinner (in latex paint it is water; in solvent paints, it is a petroleum solvent).
Pigments
Pigments provide the texture, color, and hiding properties of paint, not unlike the mud, blood, and chalk used centuries ago. They usually take the form of a dry powder, and can be made from either synthetic or natural materials. Today, architectural coatings are formulated to be as safe as possible by ensuring that pigments are carefully screened and selected.
Titanium dioxide is the primary pigment ingredient that provides hiding in light color paints. While any powder can pose a health hazard if inhaled in high concentrations, titanium dioxide(which is used also in cosmetics, soaps and certain food products) cannot be inhaled when used in a paint film and poses no risk to the user.
Other pigments commonly used in paint—including calcium carbonate, talc, clay, and sand—are naturally occurring materials that contribute various properties like gloss control, flow, and film build. Iron oxides are inorganic color pigments, chemically akin to rust on metal, and are used to produce reds and yellows.
Binders
The binder portion of an architectural coating consists of both synthetic and natural resins that start out as liquids but dry to form tough durable films.
The properties of the binder largely determine the properties of the paint film. In waterborne coatings, the binder is usually a latex emulsion composed of vinyl or acrylic copolymers. In solvent-borne coatings, the binder is usually an alkyd, a natural drying oil modified chemically to be especially tough and long lasting.
Diluents
Latex emulsion paints are thinned with water and represent the ultimate in safety and ease of use. Solvent-based or oil paints are thinned with petroleum solvent which make them less convenient and require more care to be used safely.
Over the years, use of solvent-borne paint has diminished because of concern over volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, solvent-borne paints still play an important role today because of their unique durability and adhesion properties.
Additives
Additional ingredients called additives give paints a variety of properties such as flow, stability, drying, de-foaming, mildew resistance and viscosity.
Coalescents
Also called film-forming aids, coalescents are solvents used in waterborne coatings that help fuse, or coalesce, latex particles in latex emulsion paints during the drying process. They make better paint films possible by permitting the use of harder resins in the coatings formulation. These harder resins result in interior paints that are scrub-resistant and durable.
Anti-Skinning Agents
Used only in solvent-borne coatings, anti-skinning agents prevent undesirable surface drying, or skinning, in the container during storage and shipment.
Pigment Suspending Aids
Pigment suspending aids are dispersants and surfactants that are present in most paints in very small quantities and help impart stability and promote shelf-life.
Viscosity and Flow Enhancers
These provide superior application properties and help achieve the best possible hiding and film appearance.
For additional information about Benjamin Moore paints, visit your local Benjamin Moore retailer where you can find a knowledgeable partner for all your painting needs.