Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint, also called latex paint, is water soluble, but becomes water-resistant when dry. As a binder not only acrylic is used but also vinyl or PVA. Acrylic paints are better resistant to moisture and cleaning, have fewer tendencies to grow mildew and have more elasticity then vinyl and PVA. Since vinyl and PVA are much cheaper than acrylic, companies make combinations of them to match the market.
Acrylic paints have many advantages over oil paints. They offgas much less organic fumes (VOCs) because they don’t need an organic solvent. Acrylic paints are however not free of harmful substances. They can contain agents that can emit VOCs, such as antibacterial, anti mildew, quick drying or conservant agents.
Acrylic paints dry more quickly and are more elastic then oil based paints. They are more suitable for application on wood because they allow the wood to shrink and expand without letting cracks occur. Generally they need more layers to be fully opaque compared to oil paints.
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High energy Acrylic paints have a high embodied energy, due to the presence of energy intensive polymers, but also pigments like TiO2, among the ingredients.
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High footprint Acrylic paints are better than oil based ones but still quite resource intensive to produce. Extracting pigments such as TiO2 is a polluting process.
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Non toxic It contains low amount of VOC's. Check ingredients. In US, VOC's level under 50 g/l is considered low; under 5 g/l, is considered zero (1). Alternatives: Whoever wants to choose VOC/toxic free paints must choose natural paints (linseed, chalk, clay). Quick Dries fast. |
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Non toxic It contains low amount of VOC's. Offgassing is minor compared to oil based paints. It is always better to check the amount of VOC in the ingredients. Under 50g/l it is considered low, under 5 g/l it is considered zero. |
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Difficult recycling Even if it is not a hazardous waste, it cannot be disposed as regular trash. If there's less than one-fourth of the paint in the can, take it outside, place it where kids and pets can't get to it, remove the lid and let the paint air dry. When the paint is hard (it is turned into solid waste) you can put the cans out with the rest of your trash (1).
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Links
What
Comparing paints: which one should I use? (Greenopedia)
A painter explains: what is latex paint?
How to
Tips from the masters: Paint Quality Institute
Great safety guide about paint by an artist, for artists
Eco info
Great post about paints on GreenSpec
Details about the EU Ecolabel for paint
The most extensive environmental comparison of wood finishes was made by the Finnish.
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Other Finishing
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Examples on Harvestmap.org