Formulation effects on the distribution of pigment particles in paints

Abstract Modern water-borne paints are widely used in different areas of applications ranging from high-gloss lacquers to flat, scrub-resistant interior paints. From this point of view, the pigment volume concentration (PVC) is one key-parameter adjusting the desired application properties. In high-gloss paints, for example, a low PVC is required to accommodate the proper surface roughness to achieve a high gloss. Consequently, a high concentration of TiO 2 is needed to obtain a good hiding power at the same time. Flat paints nonetheless are highly filled due to cost reasons preferentially by CaCO 3 and the pigment binding capacity of the binder is crucial. In this work, paint formulations differing in PVC, and the type of binder or dispersing agent were investigated by various techniques concerning the distribution and aggregation of pigment particles, e.g. TiO 2 . To get a detailed insight into the structure of the liquid paints and the corresponding dried paint films, suitable analytical tools were applied for characterization. The structure of the liquid paints was analyzed by remission light spectroscopy (RLS), disc centrifugation, cryogenic-replication transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-replica TEM) and cryogenic-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM). The pigment distribution in the corresponding dried paint films was examined by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), TEM and RLS. The tendency of the TiO 2 -pigments to form aggregates was found to depend on both: first on the type of binder used in the formulation and second on the employed dispersing agent. It is shown that only by adjusting the properties of the binder in combination with common dispersants, it is possible to get well-distributed TiO 2 particles within the paint. Correlation of application properties, e.g. gloss and blocking to the microscopic structure is presented.