Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive

by Ron Joseph

July, 2004

Effect of Flow Control Additives on Paints and Coatings

Q. I am a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati. I am studying paints and the rheological effects of new materials in paint. I am adding a new ingredient to paint (bought from a store) and I would like to study the rheological properties of the paint with regards to the new material added. My question is ... what kind of properties do you evaluate of the final paint product to study the effect of the new ingredient on the rheology of the paint? For example, if the new ingredient were a thickener.

A. You might study the effect of the additive on viscosity using an instrument such as a Brookfield. You would definitely want to understand the extent to which the coating behaves as a Newtonian or non-Newtonian fluid, and you might also want to extend the study to different temperatures.

In addition, I would also want to also determine other properties such as gloss, adhesion, flexibility, water resistance, corrosion resistance.

Since I am not a paint formulator, you should contact folks at the University of Southern Mississippi, and/or Kent State University, and/or the University of Missouri at Rolla all of which specialize in coating technologies.

Best wishes,

Ron Joseph