Water vs. Organic Solvents

The difference between solvent-borne and waterborne paints is due to the unique character of water. In most properties that matter, water differs significant from organic solvents. In creating a waterborne paint, the paint chemist must start from scratch, reinventing almost everything from the resin to the last stabilizer added. 

Water differs from organic solvents in many aspects. For example, its dielectric constant is more than an order of magnitude greater than those of most organic solvents. Its density, surface tension, and thermal conductivity are greater than those of most of the commonly used solvents. For its use in paint, however, the following differences between water and organic solvents are most important  

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