100% Acrylic Vs Waterborne Technology

DeanV

Can anyone explain the chemistry differences between 100% acrylic and waterborne paint? I had thought the terms were synonymous, but I guess that waterborne is a step above 100% acrylic. Someone please give me a chemistry lesson.

painterofeveryt

dean,call grahams,ask to speak to the chemists..and ask them they usually are quite friendly ...need the number ? private message me.....

VAinteriors

Waterborne refers to the solvent that is used.

100% Acrylic refers to the resin used.

Paint is made up of three (key) components, the solvent, the resin, and the pigment.

The solvent is what evaporates or oxidizes. It's what allows the paint to be liquid. Waterborne paints have a water solvent, and oil paints use various oils as the solvent.

The resin is the durable part of the paint and what binds the pigment to the surface. If you look at a plastic sign holder in a store, that is a "resin". These can be 100% acrylic, Vinyl Acrylic, Styrenated Acrylic, and I'm sure a million others.

The pigment is the colorant used. Different companies have different colorant systems. UTCs (most tinting systems) usually have some sort of oil in them, but there are waterborne colorants too.

PlainPainter

When we say either Latex or Oil paints they should really be in quotations, becaust "Oil" paints usually referrs to Alkyd based resins - and "Latex" paints usually referrs to some sort of Vinyl or Acrylic based paints. The thing with "Latex" paints - is that they are becoming so advanced and so hybridized with alkyds - to call them by a resin that hasn't been in use in over 30 years really doesn't do them justice. So to set them apart from the old "Latex" paints of the past - they are now referring to this new class of paints as Waterbourne. I mean if you are a paint manufacturer and you make this awesome hybrid of a paint that is a 100% acrylic mixed with elastomeric and a touch of an alkyd that is modified to accept water as it's solvent. Do you want the public to refer to this paint as "Latex"? I certainly wouldn't.

-plainpainter