Characteristics of Functional Building Coatings

1. Introduction to building coatings

Coatings are developing in the direction of high-performance, water-based and multifunctional. Therefore, functional building coatings have developed rapidly in recent years and have received more and more attention. There are many varieties of functional building coatings, and their characteristics vary from variety to variety.

In addition, the characteristics of functional building coatings can be reflected in their composition, performance and application. Obvious characteristics can be found in the material composition of functional building coatings, which can be described as composition characteristics.

Generally speaking, among the material components of building coatings, the base material (or film-forming substance) is the most basic coating component. However, in functional building coatings, in addition to the base material, there is also a basic material component that can provide specific functions for functional building coatings. Without this component, the coating cannot be called a functional architectural coating.

This specific material composition is different for different functional building coatings. In most cases, it may be a functional coating aid (such as fire retardant additives for fire retardant coatings, mold inhibitors for anti-mold coatings, Insecticides for insecticidal coatings, etc.). Sometimes it can also be the base material itself (such as waterproof coatings, elastic coatings, ultra-durable coatings). It may also be a combination of base material and some other components, such as anti-corrosive paints, some anti-corrosion coatings, base materials for fire retardant coatings with flame retardant properties, and base materials for anti-mold coatings with bactericidal properties.

The performance characteristics of functional building coatings are mainly that, for most functional building coatings, while meeting a specific function, it must also meet the decorative indicators and various physical and chemical performance indicators of ordinary coatings. (There are no requirements for decorative indicators or physical and chemical indicators, such as waterproof coatings, concrete anti-neutralization coatings, certain anti-corrosive paints, etc.).

2. The application characteristics of functional building coatings are as follows:

One is that functional building coatings can only play the best role in certain applications or structural occasions, and even have the meaning of use. Without its specific application, the use of functional building coatings may be meaningless.

For example, fire-resistant coatings for steel structures are meaningful only when used on various steel structures; anti-mold coatings are only meaningful when used in industrial workshops or warehouses that are susceptible to mold infection, or on internal and external walls in warm and humid areas. This is true for most other functional building coatings.

The second is that some functional building coatings can only perform their functions within a certain period of time or under certain circumstances, or the functions they perform are meaningful.

For example, fire-retardant coatings can only play the role of flame-retardant and protect the coated curtain material in the event of a fire. Anti-sticking exterior wall primer are only meaningful when they are stuck by foreign objects. Phosphorescent (luminous) paint can only send light in the dark without a light source. The elastic exterior wall paint can only stretch and cover the cracks when the wall has cracks or the wall cracks are closed.

In addition, some functional building coatings have the required functions only under certain conditions provided by the outside world.

For example, electrothermal paint can only convert electrical energy into heat when it is energized (that is, there is electrical energy in the coating film). Fluorescent paint can only fluoresce when exposed to ultraviolet light. The light storage (luminous) paint can only release the stored light energy after the light source is removed after being irradiated by ultraviolet rays and stored light energy. This is also a performance characteristic in the application of functional building coatings.