Alkyd emulsion paints: properties, challenges and solutions

Some of the properties of paints based on alkyd emulsion are discussed and they are divided into four categories. Colloidal stability of water based paints is predominantly governed by osmotic and electrostatic repulsion of both the binder and the pigment particles. The rheological behaviour of paints based on binder dispersions should be optimised by using thickeners with the proper mix of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymeric segments. Stability of drying properties of alkyd emulsion paints upon storage can be strongly improved by preventing the use of ketoximes as anti‐skinning agents and by selecting the proper driers. Properties of the dried paints depend strongly on the process of film formation. The protective and aesthetical quality of films based on binder dispersions is governed by the key parameters of the resin that is within the droplets; viscosity, miscibility and the ability of the binder to undergo crosslinking. To obtain the total package of desired properties of water based paints it is necessary that all of the paint components are adjusted to each other. This can only be done if the companies that develop and market the raw materials work closely together. The use of fundamental knowledge in such co‐makerships results in better and faster developments.