Waterborne coating formulations and their raw materials are becoming increasingly complex in order to meet regulatory pressures as well as achieve the high-performance properties desired by consumers. Environmental regulations require significantly lower volatile organic content (VOC) levels than in the past. In addition, coating formulations are being pushed toward higher solids levels to provide improved performance and durability. These factors in combination lead to a reduction the drying time for coatings. In most cases this reduced drying speed would be a benefit, however, for the applicator this can create a challenge to achieve the desired application result before the paint dries. This paint film drying is referred to as workability or open time and is a critical property of a formulation. While keeping solids levels constant, the open time can be extended either by reducing the solvent evaporation rate or delaying the onset of film coalescence. Significant effort has been given to better characterize the open time as well as develop raw materials that can extend the open time. This presentation will highlight the state-of-the-art methods for open time characterization as well as highlight examples of how the chemistry of coating formulation ingredients such as rheology modifiers and emulsion polymers can affect the open time.

Watching paint dry doesn't have to be boring

2019 Fall National Meeting

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