3-in-1: Needle tine - Pitchcare

Can
you
tell
what
it is
yet?
Paint has been around almost as long as our species (and
Rolf Harris) and from those earliest days, when our ancestors
coated themselves with specially selected earth and
powdered rock, so has paint design.
Of course things have moved on somewhat
since then although the same basic elements
and requirements still hold true today. Any
paint we design must meet the
performance requirements of the customer,
be compatible with the preferred application
equipment and must be economical to use.
In much the same way, the basic
components of the paint, pigment and
binder, resemble those used by our
prehistoric ancestors, and whereas the
animal fat and spit of past times are now
replaced by some form of resin, the
pigments are still essentially powdered rock.
A modern paint will typically contain the
following generic raw materials:-
Prime Pigments Very expensive
- Organic: Derived from petro
chemicals
- Inorganic: Titanium dioxide,
iron oxide
Extender pigment: Less Expensive
eg. Talc, China clay,
calcium carbonate,
barium sulphate
Binder : eg. water-based
emulsion resin, alkyd,
polyester, acrylic, epoxy
Solvent: eg. water, hydrocarbon,
oxygenated hydrocarbon
In addition a group of materials described
as additives which are used to: speed dry,
aid pigment dispersion, reduce foaming,
introduce structure, prevent surface defects,
and other desirable characteristics are also
commonly included.
For athletic field marking, the majority of
paints are water-based and use either an
acrylic or acrylic/vinylic polymer emulsion as
binder. The prime pigment is usually
titanium dioxide which provides colour and
opacity to the paint. The prime pigment is
typically very expensive and to make the
paint more economical, extender pigments
are used. Extender pigments have several
functions in a paint formulation such as to
provide bulk, augment mechanical and
optical performance in addition to reducing
the overall cost. The choice of additives is
specific to each company and each
formulation, as they are often used to
balance performance in water-based
technology.
Often overlooked is the importance of
matching the paint to the equipment used
in order to achieve optimum results.
Companies who produce both paint and
equipment invariably design the two
elements to work in harmony. Athletic field
marking paint is applied by a number of
techniques including airless spray (high and
low pressure), spray and wheel-to-wheel
transfer. The type of the application
technique and the surface to which it is
applied defines the physical properties of
the paint chosen.