An Experimental Study for the Improvement of the Stain Resistance for Exterior Wall Paints in a Western City in China

Abstract

In recent years, with the rapid development of the building industry in western cities during the period of “Western Development” in China, the paints industry has developed rapidly and become more mature. In addition, waterborne inorganic exterior wall paints have been a great choice in the building industry because of their reduced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and less toxicity and odor. However, the problem of stain resistance for exterior wall paints in western cities has not been solved, which has become a major obstacle to the application and promotion of exterior wall paints in western cities in China. Therefore, effective measures should eventually be carried out for improving the stain resistance of exterior wall paints in western cities in China. In this paper, an experimental study on improving stain resistance for exterior wall paints in a typical western city in China, Chongqing, is reported. In the three defined designs, the effects of the paint structure type, the pigment volume concentration (PVC), thickeners, cosolvents and wetting and dispersing agents on the stain resistance of exterior wall paints in a typical western city in China, Chongqing, were examined. The experimental results suggest that the stain resistance of silicone–acrylic paint was the most suitable among the three kinds of tested paints (silicone–acrylic paint, styrene–acrylic paint and pure acrylic paint). In addition, the PVC had a great influence on the stain resistance of the exterior wall paints. The compactness, water absorption and stain resistance of the paint’s film were the most suitable when the PVCs of the paints reached 45%. Furthermore, the tested wetting and dispersing agents made the same contributions to the paints’ stain resistance, as their decline rates for reflectivity were similar. The reflectivity of the film significantly decreased when the ratio of associating thickener to non-associating thickener reached 4:1, and also significantly declined when the content of propylene glycol reached 5%.

The Effect of Silica Sol on the Stain Resistance of Exterior Wall Latex Coatings through Natural Exposure to Sunlight

“…The latex coating used on exterior walls is constantly exposed to the outdoor natural environment and is constantly subject to various external pollution [5]. Therefore, stain resistance is an important characteristic of architectural coatings in cities [6][7][8]. However, latex coatings are relatively soft.…”

Special Issue “Natural Fiber Based Composites”

“…By way of example, one research article in this Special Issue evidences the interest to add mucilages extracted from five specific plants to improve the quality of lime-based mortars, making these natural extracts promising additives for restoring and protecting historical buildings [16]. Vegetable raw materials can also be the source of natural dyes, possibly useful in the construction sector (case of the exterior wall paints [17]), but also for textiles, paper, etc. In particular, using natural dyes on textiles has many advantages, as they are healthier and more environmentally friendly than the synthetic ones.…”