Applications for Decorative and Protective Coatings

The objective of this chapter is to give the reader an overview of the use of emulsion polymers in decorative and protective coatings. Because of the great variety of specific applications, it will not be possible to address them all, and we have chosen instead to focus on selected application areas which we believe will provide the reader with a useful foundation in a variety of coating applications. 

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I 6 Applications for Decorative and Protective Coating Vinyl acetate copolymers... 

In addition to the above applications of granular copper powder, a large quantity of copper and copper alloy powder is used in flake form, i.e., as a powder whose thickness is small in relation to its other dimensions. Such powders are used, for example, in antifouling paints, decorative and protective coatings, and printing inks. 

A variety of polymer compositions are used as binders in decorative and protective coating applications. By definition, emulsion polymers are based on vinyl monomers, but even with this restriction there are a number of different polymer classes which can be used for a given application. The choice of polymer system depends on many factors, which we will highlight below in the context of specific examples of coating apphcations. In this section we give an overview of the major emulsion polymer classes and discuss their general performance characteristics. 

Coatings and Surface Modifications. Probably the one application of photopolymer chemistry that has the most worldwide commercial value in terms of product sales is the use of photopolymer materials for curable coatings. Most of the wood paneling and less expensive furniture manufactured today utilize UV or electron-beam curable materials for decorative finishes (e.g. simulation of wood grain) and protective coatings. In addition, the surfaces of many commercially important materials (e.g. textile fibers and polyester films) are being modified by photopolymer processes. 

Often the OEM coatings depend on the nature and condition of the substrate to which paint is applied application methods and conditions drying time required and decorative and protective requirements. The substrate most commonly coated with industrial coatings are iron and steel, but also include other metals such as aluminum and its alloys, zinc-coated steel, brass, bronze, copper, and lead. Nonmetalhc substrates include timber and timber products, concrete, cement, glass, ceramics, fabric, paper, leather, and a wide range of different plastic materials. Consequently, industrial coatings are usually formulated for use on either a specific substrate or a group of substrates. 

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