Introduction: Paint thickening is a common storage issue, manifesting as increased consistency and volume expansion, affecting application performance.
What is Paint Thickening?
- Significant increase in paint consistency with volume expansion
- Viscosity increase but not necessarily to unusable level
- Different manifestations in various systems: solvent-based paints caking, latex paints freezing
Common Causes of Paint Thickening
- Chemical Reaction Factors:
- Over-polymerization of vehicle or high acid value reacting with basic pigments
- Saponification: Acidic paints reacting with basic pigments
- Moisture Reaction: Polyurethane hardeners reacting with air moisture
- Physical Factors:
- Thinner Loss: Solvent evaporation due to poor sealing
- Water Contamination: Moisture in paint or pigments with water-soluble salts
- Temperature Effects: High temperature accelerating polymerization, low temperature causing latex paint freezing
- Time Factors:
- Overlong Storage exceeding shelf life
- Improper Thinner: e.g., asphalt paint diluted with 200# solvent gasoline
Solutions to Prevent and Fix Paint Thickening
- ormulation and Process Control:
- Strictly control vehicle polymerization degree, pigment moisture and water-soluble salt indexes
- Add appropriate butanol to alkyd/amino paints to reduce viscosity
- Avoid moisture contamination in all production stages
- Packaging and Storage Management:
- Regularly check packaging drum sealing to prevent solvent evaporation
- Control storage temperature at 15-25℃, avoid extremes
- Strictly seal polyurethane hardeners to prevent moisture contact
- Problem Product Treatment:
- Latex Paint freezing: Move to warm room for 2-8 days thawing
- Amino Baking Paint thickening: Dilute with solvent containing ≥25% butanol
- Leaking products: Replace packaging, add appropriate solvent, mix well and reseal
- Usage Management:
- Use promptly within storage shelf life
- Use thawed latex paint immediately, avoid re-storage
What We Can Offer
🏠Customized Coating Formula
🌿Raw Material Supply From China
🚀Production Technical Guidance
Serve 100+ small and medium-sized paint & ink factories!