Paint term confusion

Robbyrockett2

Air-Valve Autobot!
So I was confused about this for a very long time and so are most people. There is a lot of misinformation out there. Most of the confusion comes from simply referring to paint types by one word in their long list of classifications, often over a long period of time because a specific type of paint dominates. So I thought I'd clear this up a bit.

Acrylic- Acrylic simply means that the paint has an acrylic polymer resin binder, nothing more. This is the most commonly mis-understood term in paint. A lot of times people take this to mean water based, that's simply not true. Almost all paints you will use are acrylics.

Lacquer- Lacquer paint simply dries, it remains soluble in its original carrier.

Enamel- Enamels are any paints that have a chemical reaction and cure which makes them far less soluble in their original solvent. Usually with their environment and sometimes requiring a catalyst.

Epoxy- Technically an enamel type, in that it has a chemical reaction, though this is usually entirely self sustained and needs no chemicals from the environment.

Solvent based- We usually mean a VOC based paint when we say solvent, though technically water is a solvent too.

Water based/ Waterbourne - The difference here is that water based paint uses water as the vast,vast majority of its solvent if not all. Waterbourne uses water as a carrier but its true solvent is some sort of VOC.

Many other terms are actually specifics. Urethane , (Vinyl,PVA, styrene These are usually the "latex" or "emulsion" in house paints) Nitro, epoxy,

So for some examples

Standard createx- Technically a waterbourne acrylic enamel
Wicked color- Technically a waterbourne acrylic enamel
These two blur the line because the crrier (water) is not really the solvent (butyl ether) that allows the acrylic to cross link
Etac Efx- A waterbased acrylic weak lacquer ( possibly a tempera, which uses little to no binder, which would make it not even an acrylic if it uses no binder)

Most Modern 2k automotive paint- a chemically catalyzed acrylic urethane enamel (has acrylic and urethane binder)
Old 2 pak paint- Catalyzed acrylic enamel
2k polyester - A chemically catalyzed polyester enamel (essentially gel coat sans styrene)
single stage urethane- usually an acrylic urethane enamel
Older automotive oil enamel paint and industrial paints- Acrylic alkyd enamel (commonly just called enamel)
Automotive lacquer- Acrylic lacquer VOC based
Standard polyurethane- polyurethane lacquer
Nitro lacquer- Often simply called lacquer is one non acrylic product still in use. (minwax lacquer)

Artist acrylics sort of blur the line- They oxidize with air in the environment so they do chemically react, but they are very slow to do so and build water resistance over time, But are never highly "waterproof"
I think technically most are actually an enamel.

Hopefully this gives some people a better understanding of why there are
Water based acrylics
Acrylic lacquers of all sorts of bases
Acrylic enamels of all sorts of bases and reaction methods
"water based polyurethane" which is really waterbourne
Vitreous enamel which is the old enameled jewelry and such (its an enamel because it chemically reacts at very high temperatures)
1k urethanes

Hopefully this is helpful. I believe I got most of this right, could be a couple that are off.
 
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In any case the principal and take away is
enamels react - lacquers dry
enamels and lacquers can have any base.
Acrylic is just a binder ingredient and tells you nothing about the base, or how it cures
Same goes for urethane, vinyl , pva whatever.
 
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Well done. I would add the following...

There are epoxy paints AND epoxy coatings... an EPOXY COATING (often used as primers) is more akin to a 2-pack, it has a polyamine added to it to create a long chain molecule in the same way 2-packs do.
 
Well done. I would add the following...

There are epoxy paints AND epoxy coatings... an EPOXY COATING (often used as primers) is more akin to a 2-pack, it has a polyamine added to it to create a long chain molecule in the same way 2-packs do.
Yes thank you Mark!
I'm still a bit fuzzy on this myself because a lot of manufacturers throw around the term epoxy to make their enamel paint sound tough. But I think the big difference is that the epoxy paint still uses some oxygen from the environment and it's kind of a hybrid where the coating is totally self sustained and could cure underwater technically.
I'm not sure if that is correct though.
Either way, zero amine blush means it's probably not a coating.

Then theres the tricky moistrue cured epoxy enamels like por-15 which could almost be considered 2k that you don't have to mix because the catalyst is all around you.
 
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Yes thank you Mark!
I'm still a bit fuzzy on this myself because a lot of manufacturers throw around the term epoxy to make their enamel paint sound tough. But I think the big difference is that the epoxy paint still uses some oxygen from the environment and it's kind of a hybrid where the coating is totally self sustained and could cure underwater technically.
I'm not sure if that is correct though.
Either way, zero amine blush means it's probably not a coating.

Then theres the tricky moistrue cured epoxy enamels like por-15 which could almost be considered 2k that you don't have to mix because the catalyst is all around you.
I could never work out the difference between an epoxy (single pack) and an epoxy (2-pack) and found out the 2-pack is called a coating, not a paint. They are great procusts but toxic as can be. I use the epoxy gel for building my kayaks and it's awesome! And yes, I think you're safe to say if there is no amine blush it would be a paint rather than a coating.

I suspect if we dug deeper we would find your typical enamel oxidizes for it's main cure (which is why they stay soft for many days after application) and an epoxy uses a different method of cure but in a similar manner.
 
I could never work out the difference between an epoxy (single pack) and an epoxy (2-pack) and found out the 2-pack is called a coating, not a paint. They are great procusts but toxic as can be. I use the epoxy gel for building my kayaks and it's awesome! And yes, I think you're safe to say if there is no amine blush it would be a paint rather than a coating.

I suspect if we dug deeper we would find your typical enamel oxidizes for it's main cure (which is why they stay soft for many days after application) and an epoxy uses a different method of cure but in a similar manner.
Well at least according this....we're right on track.
http://allgaragefloors.com/is-it-paint-or-epoxy/
With 1 part epoxy paint just being a hard enamel with a little epoxy in it.
From searching around a bunch and in a lot of different application types ,the best I can tell , theres no such thing as a true one part epoxy paint. It's just a marketing gimmick.
 
You've put together a lot of useful info!:)
I know many of that, as it's important to know and always wondered why people call acrylic-urethane 1k basecoat "urethane" paint. But anyway, I'm going to use the term to avoid misunderstanding.
BTW, I like 1k urethanes for the reason they have in the paint mix only one pigment, but not mix of pigments as many of art paint are. That helps to predict the behavior of the paint.
Besides all, people's lack of knowledge=bigger incomes;)
 
You've put together a lot of useful info!:)
I know many of that, as it's important to know and always wondered why people call acrylic-urethane 1k basecoat "urethane" paint. But anyway, I'm going to use the term to avoid misunderstanding.
BTW, I like 1k urethanes for the reason they have in the paint mix only one pigment, but not mix of pigments as many of art paint are. That helps to predict the behavior of the paint.
Besides all, people's lack of knowledge=bigger incomes;)
I like them too I think they are a perfect solution for those who can't ( or shouldn't) use 2k all the time.

The worst part of the confusion I think Is when you see a company that sells an acrylic line and its all just labeled acrylic but depending whether its a spray can or a bucket or a marker they end up with one being an alkyd enamel, one is a lacquer, and one is an acrylic enamel. All labeled the same.
 
I think E'tac EFX is more a gouache than acrylic.

One thing that gets me is the term "ink". Just because it is very runny does not make it an ink.
 
I think E'tac EFX is more a gouache than acrylic.

One thing that gets me is the term "ink". Just because it is very runny does not make it an ink.
Your probably right. Some things blur the line now though too like egg tempera. Well the egg has been replaced with a certain type of acrylic and just made to act like egg tempera. So even if etac is a a gouache or heck even a watercolor, chances are if it has any binder whatsoever it's probably acrylic....unless its actually using clays?

I am entirely unsure what makes something an ink......no idea since theres pigment ink, dye ink and im sure some others
 
I like them too I think they are a perfect solution for those who can't ( or shouldn't) use 2k all the time.

The worst part of the confusion I think Is when you see a company that sells an acrylic line and its all just labeled acrylic but depending whether its a spray can or a bucket or a marker they end up with one being an alkyd enamel, one is a lacquer, and one is an acrylic enamel. All labeled the same.

For me urethanes is the choice. I've got a space to work with them and building a studio that's gonna be charged with everything imaginable (that's the plan:)). So I see no reason to change for anything else. The only issue I see with uros is fumes. But taking into account that I never work without charcoal respirator, even when I started ABing with WB paint, and always wear gloves, so the fumes aren't issue. Moreover, from what I read here on the forum about modern WB paints, I wouldn't worked without the gloves with them anyway. So what the point for me to use WB? While uros are much pleasant to work with. Just my opinion, though.

You're right about that labeling. It sometimes even not possible to find MSDS to know what's in there to figure out what to expect from the product.
I like those canned 1K "clears"!!!:D Any possible surprises people can get! Never going to use that again.
 
For me urethanes is the choice. I've got a space to work with them and building a studio that's gonna be charged with everything imaginable (that's the plan:)). So I see no reason to change for anything else. The only issue I see with uros is fumes. But taking into account that I never work without charcoal respirator, even when I started ABing with WB paint, and always wear gloves, so the fumes aren't issue. Moreover, from what I read here on the forum about modern WB paints, I wouldn't worked without the gloves with them anyway. So what the point for me to use WB? While uros are much pleasant to work with. Just my opinion, though.

You're right about that labeling. It sometimes even not possible to find MSDS to know what's in there to figure out what to expect from the product.
I like those canned 1K "clears"!!!:D Any possible surprises people can get! Never going to use that again.
I'm with you. I do some murals on site and that is one reason it's nice for me to use waterbase. The only other real advantage I see Is that they are much more forgiving about cleanup and about what paint goes on top of them. Easier to put on plastics as well.
But anytime I can use use urethane, I'm using it.
 
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