Additives in Paint
Paint additives can be defined as an essential component of coatings and are often used to enhance the manufacturing process, storage maintenance, improve construction conditions, enhance product quality, and offer exceptional benefits. A rational and precise selection of additives can help reduce costs and improve economic objectives. Additives are characterized as low-level components that provide specific features in paint, such as leveling, mold resistance, deformation resistance, and good flow. 
 
Have you ever wondered how paint can act as an algae-resistant or anti-fungal agent, with better durability and instant drying? The answer is simple – a paint manufacturer and researcher always adds certain additives to paints, resulting in the mentioned properties. Additives are said to be special paint compounds and are used in smaller quantities to impart features, characteristics, and auxiliary qualities to the paint itself. 
 
The proper use of additives in paints, at the right time and in the correct portions, can encourage and enhance the appearance, properties, flow, and durability of the coating. You must have noticed that when the paint is mixed for application, bubbles form, and these bubbles are broken down by additives. 
 
The purpose of using additives is also to improve output and storage properties. They also help reduce paint tension. Additives include emulsifiers, specialty additives, deformers, wetting and dispersing agents, thickeners and anti-settling agents, wastewater treatment additives, and more. However, the use of additives is key to intensifying and increasing the added value of the product.
Here are some of the reasons mentioned below to explain why additives are added to paints:
 
Certain paint additives help increase the paint's fluid capacity and are also valuable for leveling the paint properties without excessive thinning. Modern paints, thanks to the addition of additives, are characterized by fast-drying quality. However, this doesn't allow the paint to drip on the surface, nor does it leave brush marks.
 
A wide range of paint products provide a textured appearance due to the addition of granular powders, fine aggregates, and several other ingredients. Textured additives are useful for hiding minor deformities, offering an attractive appearance, and are also used to make the paint more durable with a good coating.
 
Some additives are used to turn paint into a long-lasting air freshener, and these additives are mixed with the paint, properly blended before application, to create a mild fragrance. This is useful for better maintenance, especially in apartments or rental houses that need a fresh, new paint job.
 
Fungicidal paint additives are among the most important types of paint additives. In damp and humid areas, where constant washing or cleaning is needed to remove mold and algae, mold-killing additives can be exceptional.
 
Anti-corrosive additives are added to paint to prevent further corrosion.
 
Anti-fouling additives prevent the growth of underwater organisms such as barnacles, algae, etc. Paint created with this type of additive is widely used on underwater marine surfaces.
 
Anti-settling agents are incorporated into the paint to keep pigments in suspension. They prevent pigment or other heavy components from settling during storage. They also help maintain the proper consistency of the coating formulation.
 
Anti-skinning agents are also added to paint to prevent or delay the formation of an insoluble skin on the surface in paint cans, which may occur due to oxidation or polymerization reactions in the paint containers.
 
Additives can help enhance the coating’s durability, appearance, and paint flow. These additives provide sufficient density and consistency, allowing the paint to be applied properly.
 
Now let's talk about industrial coatings. When it comes to industrial paints, there is a slight difference between each paint formula. In fact, depending on your application needs, you can choose one type of coating over another. The main difference between the two types of coatings is the type of additives present in the formulation. Additives are used to modify the natural properties of the resin and coating to provide a higher quality end product. If you scroll down, you can find a few ways in which additives improve the use of coatings in industrial painting.
 
Leveling – Paint additives play a very important role when the resin is exposed to air, and it’s interesting to see how the resin in the coating cures in the atmosphere. When initially applied, the coating is generally uneven due to the irregular shape of the materials in the paint. However, as it sets on the selected surface, the particles slowly blend together, forming a tight seal against all external elements. When the resin starts drying too early or unevenly, it can cause bubbling, orange peel texture, or fish-eye defects to remain in the paint. This is undesirable, as it cannot create the same strong resistance to cracking, peeling, or chipping. Additives are also used for **drying** and to smoothen the paint flow, ensuring that all particles have enough time to level out and bond together.
 
Gloss – One of the areas where additives are most noticeable is the level of gloss that a particular finish creates. Additives used in industrial painting are adjusted to increase or decrease gloss to produce a more reflective or less shiny surface as desired. This is typically achieved by using additives that enhance the flow and leveling of the coatings simultaneously, resulting in an extremely smooth, flat, and reflective surface. If you desire a low-gloss finish for any specific reason, the reverse can be done.
 
Stain Resistance – Some industrial paints use additives to achieve stain resistance. These types of additives prepare the finished surface in such a way that it becomes slightly impermeable to certain chemical agents, which would otherwise lead to staining. Once the pores on the surface are closed and a solid barrier is created, discoloration and staining can largely be prevented.
 
Surface Adhesion Additives – In various applications, it is crucial that the paint withstands several layers of coatings applied over it. For instance, some municipalities use coatings that contain surface adhesion additives to prevent graffiti from sticking to the actual surface of the coating. If you ever wish to repaint the surface, this adds an interesting challenge and may require a new class of additives, known as wetting agents, which enable the new coating to adhere to the previous, resistant coating.
 
There are many types of paint additives used to alter the properties and characteristics of industrial paints. A few of these additives may potentially interfere with others, so it is the responsibility of paint manufacturers to harmonize the formulation to discover as many beneficial features as they can achieve. If you’re considering purchasing paint products, it is very important for you to research the various types of additives used and available on the market, and most importantly, how they affect the final surface in your facility. You can consult with a painting expert who can help you determine which paint best suits your needs and provide a suitable explanation of what each of these features means in the context of your application and over the long term.
 
Hardness – Another subset of additives can be used to create hardness in the exterior resin after it cures. This hardness ensures that any object scraping the surface of the coating can be removed without leaving a mark or streak. This can be an extremely valuable feature in areas where industrial equipment might contact the coating, potentially damaging the surface layers and exposing the lower layers.