50 Shades of Fuchsia Controlled Polymer Morphology with Functionality Addresses Consumer Demand for Deeper Tones and Lower VOC

By Partha Majumdar, David Conner, Yuanqin Liu, Carol Hawkins, Gary W. Dombrowski, Paul Doll

From flat to eggshell to semi-gloss, architectural paints have made incredible gains in ultra- low VOC paint performance, but achieving a smooth, hard, glossy finish without the help of solvent has been much more elusive across the color spectrum of deep tones. In these polymer-rich paint formulations, ultra-low VOC options typically employ a soft polymer or a hard polymer with a nonvolatile coalescent.

Both result in poor block and tack resistance. As titanium dioxide- and extender-rich neutrals and pastels make way for bolder, brighter accent colors, there is growing consumer demand for deep-tone paints that go on smoothly, dry quickly, and maintain a glossy, hard finish without cracking.

A controlled polymer morphology has been developed which employs hard, soft, and functional monomers in a single waterborne acrylic binder.*

When compared to both low-VOC (< 50 g/L) and ultra-low VOC (< 5 g/L) commercial binders, test results demonstrate that this polymer technology offers improved film formation, hardness, and tack and print resistance when used in ultra-low VOC, deep-base paints.