Book Description

While many of us do not ordinarily think of paints and coating as a major industry, in the same class as aerospace or automobiles, it is, in fact, a hidden giant. Practically every manufactured product requires a coating, for decorative and/or protective purposes. For certain products, the "coating" is most of what you pay for. Thus photographic emulsions, for example, are applied to the transparent backing, or "substrate", as viscous liquids, which then dry to form the photographic film. Various types of thin plastic sheet goods are manufactured in a similar way. Long lasting or timerelease pharmaceutical pills use a special coating that is resistant to the action of stomach acid. Microelectronic fabrication requires the application of thin layers of liquid gold, because of its superior electrical conductivity. Architectural coatings, i.e. house paints, are familiar to all of us. On a typical residential dwelling, the value of the paint job can be several thousand dollars. Similarly, automotive coating is a major component of manufacturing cost, adding about $600 per vehicle. New base coat-clear coat systems produce a beautiful jewel-like appearance that certainly helps to sell the car, while at the same time providing effective rust protection. Coating products are, in fact, the first line defense in the control of rust. While paints and other coatings contribute to the esthetics and utility of many things, these benefits often must be weighed against environmental costs. Spray coating operations currently release pollutant gases into the environment, with resultant potential health problems for production workers and the community as a whole. About one billion pounds of organic solvents, from liquid coating operations, are currently being released into the environment by chemical process and manufacturing industries each year. Government legislation has made the control of these pollutants an industrial priority and has mandated drastic reductions in volatile organic solvent (VOC) content. New formulations produced to meet these requirements have far more complicated rheological and film formation behavior, and generally exhibit less good coating performance. Candidate replacement low-VOC coatings perform less well, however, and are more prone to defects such as sagging (drip marks), blisters, and "orange-peel." Development of such new coating products and processes that are economically competitive, use minimal amounts of material, produce final defect-free coatings in actual on-line operations, without adverse environmental impact, is a formidable scientific and engineering challenge. This book aims at the advanced understanding of paints and coatings, the various types of industrial coatings, pigments, solvents and additives of paints, the durability testing of paints and the various safety measures to be followed in the paint industry. I hope this book benefits both the student and industrial community. I take this opportunity to thank my mother K.VASANTHI and my father M.KUMAR for their support in all my endeavors. My baby son S.P.VIHAAN for inspiring me to write this book, my husband E.PRADEEP for being my pillar of strength, I am also grateful to K.VINAYAK, K.KARTHEESWARAN and K.NISHA for their encouragement.