Paint is any substance that can be applied to a surface to protect or colour it. Some of the original paints were made of coloured chalky stone that was chewed into a paste or crushed and mixed with water to make a paste and then spread onto walls of caves. Now they are made of a range of chemicals to produce a range of effects but most are toxic so don’t go around licking the walls okay.
Paint is made of a number of components, and depending on the paint, depends on what is in it.
Binders – these have to be present. This is the film forming part of the paint.
Solvent – this is the bit that dissolves compounds and changes the viscosity, the thickness of the paint.
Pigment – These are the bits that make the colour and are either natural, like the clays James mentioned, or synthetic which are engineered compounds.
Then there are a heap of additives for different sorts of paint applications. UV Stabilisers for paints that are used outside so that uv radiation doesn’t degrade the paint. Biocides that added to fight fungal and bacterial growth. And so on.
There are also some paints that change colour due to temperature, like the thermochromic paints. I had little toy cars when I was a kid that would change colour depending on the temperature of the paint. Some paints will also change depending on light.
Nice question, Shaunm, and nice answers by James and Dustin.
I just wanted to say that the pigment doesn’t necessarily have to be a colour – I’ve seen a ‘paint’ where the pigment was whole corn kernels! 🙂
Paint is any substance that can be applied to a surface to protect or colour it. Some of the original paints were made of coloured chalky stone that was chewed into a paste or crushed and mixed with water to make a paste and then spread onto walls of caves. Now they are made of a range of chemicals to produce a range of effects but most are toxic so don’t go around licking the walls okay.
0
Hi Shaunm,
Paint is made of a number of components, and depending on the paint, depends on what is in it.
Binders – these have to be present. This is the film forming part of the paint.
Solvent – this is the bit that dissolves compounds and changes the viscosity, the thickness of the paint.
Pigment – These are the bits that make the colour and are either natural, like the clays James mentioned, or synthetic which are engineered compounds.
Then there are a heap of additives for different sorts of paint applications. UV Stabilisers for paints that are used outside so that uv radiation doesn’t degrade the paint. Biocides that added to fight fungal and bacterial growth. And so on.
There are also some paints that change colour due to temperature, like the thermochromic paints. I had little toy cars when I was a kid that would change colour depending on the temperature of the paint. Some paints will also change depending on light.
0
Nice question, Shaunm, and nice answers by James and Dustin.
I just wanted to say that the pigment doesn’t necessarily have to be a colour – I’ve seen a ‘paint’ where the pigment was whole corn kernels! 🙂
0