DRYING AND CURING OF PAINT FILMS During the drying/curing process a paint changes from a liquid into a solid. It does this by various mechanisms and combinations of mechanisms. The time it takes to undergo this physical change is governed by several factors including temperature. Generally three terms are used to refer to drying/curing temperatures. a) AirDrying This refers to normal ambient temperatures. b) Forced Drying When heat is needed to effect a cure or accelerate the reaction it is called forced drying, but the temperature range for forced drying is ambient to 65°, ©) Stoving When temperatures above 65° are used, using ovens or infra red, the term used is stoving. Industrial paints, with a few exceptions e.g. intumescents, are generally in the air Drying category, and the liquid to solid transition is dependant on one of the four drying mechanisms as follows. 1 Solvent Evaporation Paints employing this drying mechanism are linear polymer materials, sometimes referred to as solution polymers. Solution polymers dissolve in the solvent, when the paint is applied the solvent evaporates away allowing the fully formed linear polymers, saturated, with no activity points, to come out of solution and form a film on the substrate. ‘The polymers lic in a random interlocking pattern, similar to cooked spaghetti or noodles and loosely bond together by “ secondary Hydrogen bonds”. The solvents used by these materials are strong solvents and, when reapplied onto the paints, easily penetrate between the polymers and split the secondary bond, allowing the polymer to go back into solution. Materials, which can do this are, called reversible or non-convertible. Chlorinated rubber, vinyl’s, acrylics, cellulosic materials and laquers fall into this category. Printing Inspection Grade 3/2. Rev 1 April 2004 TWI woupanmeron Drying & Curing 61 MATERIALS JOTNING Copyright © 2003, TWILd ELM ‘ecixoi06"2 Oxidation Paints using this mechanism form a film by “oxidative cross linking” (polymerisation) using atmospheric oxygen, and in some cases, the oxygen contained in the driers. First of all if a solvent is present, the solvent evaporates away, allowing the oxidation to begin. Oxygen then combines with the unsaturated bonds on the fatty acid esters, progressively linking them together, to form the film. Once the oxygen has reacted with the binder, it has changed the chemical structure of the binder and cannot be removed. These materials are therefore convertible or non-reversible. Because oxygen is in abundance in the atmosphere the reactions continue, ad infinitum, until the materials crack and peel, having formed a very complex cross- linked matrix. Alkyds, Phenolics, natural oils and resins are materials from this category. 3 Chemical Curing Chemical curing paints need addition of a second material, (in some cases as in moisture curing, ‘water from the atmosphere) but generally the second material, the activator, is supplied in a can, hhence the term 2 pack or Multi Component Liquid. In order to obtain the desired film the whole of the contents of both cans should be thoroughly mixed together and instructions on the materials data sheet should be strictly observed. Some materials will require an induction period and most data sheets will state the ‘pot life’. An induction period is “The length of time after mixing which the paint should stand before use”, Induction time is also called stand time or lead time, and is recommended to allow thorough wetting of the solids. During the induction period the chemical reaction will commence and will be either: - a) Anexothermic reaction. Giving off heat, the container will warm up b) Anendothermic reaction. Taking in heat, the container will cool forming condensation. ‘A typical induction periad is 20 — 30 minutes. Pot life is the period of time after mixing in which the paint must be used, and with industrial paints, dependant on temperature is usually 6 — 8 hours. After the recommended pot life the material becomes very user unfriendly and if in bulk, is quite often subject to spontancous combustion. 2 pack materials curing agents Amides — Epoxy curing agents, usually quote seven days to full cross linking at 20°C. Amines ~ Epoxy curing agents, three days to full cross linking at 20°. Isocyanates - Mainly used for urethanes but also for some epoxies where low temperature application is unavoidable, -10% being typical. Ambient temperature urethanes, especially for pipeline use quote 16 hours to full cure. NB. Isocyanates are very toxic and need great care during use. Painting Inspection Grade 3/2, Rev 1 April 2004 TWI woupcarasron Drying & Curing 62 Vy MATERIALS JOINING Copyright © 2003, TWILtd TECHNOLOGYChemically curing materials are convertible or non-reversible. 4 Coalescence Coalescence means to physically join together. In an emulsion the resin droplets are dispersed in the continuous phase, water. Upon application the water evaporates away allowing the resin droplets to come close together until they are touching. At this stage small amounts of high boiling point solvents are concentrated in the voids between the spheres, from where they ‘migrate into the spheres, plasticise them and allow them to fuse together. In so doing they also reduce the Tg of the material (I'g = Gloss Transition and is the temperature at which the material changes from a rubbery to a glossy solid and vice versa). If the Tg wasn’t changed, the resulting film would stay as a liquid and be easily wiped away. These materials e.g. acrylics and vinyl’s are reversible. It is important to remember in this case that water is not a solvent, but if the true hydrocarbon solvent was used the material would form a solution. Painting Inspection Grade 3/2. Rev 1 April 2004 ] WORLD CENTRE FOR Drying & Curing 63 (MATERIALS JOINING Copyright © 2003, TWIL1d TECHNOLOGY