SURFACE COATING

any mixture of film-forming materials plus pigments, solvents, and other additives, which, when applied to a surface and cured or dried, yields a thin film that is functional and often decorative. Surface coatings include paints, drying oils and varnishes, synthetic clear coatings, and other products whose primary function is to protect the surface of an object from the environment. These products can also enhance the aesthetic appeal of an object by accentuating its surface features or even by concealing them from view. Outline of Coverage Most surface coatings employed in industry and by consumers are based on synthetic polymersthat is, industrially produced substances composed of extremely large, often interconnected molecules that form tough, flexible, adhesive films when applied to surfaces. The other component materials of surface coatings are pigments, which provide colour, opacity, gloss, and other properties; solvents or carrier liquids, which provide a liquid medium for applying the film-forming ingredients; and additives, which provide a number of special properties. This article reviews the composition and film-forming properties of polymer-based surface coatings, beginning with the polymer ingredients and continuing through the pigments, liquids, and additives. The emphasis is on paints (by far the most common type of coating), though occasional reference is made to other types of coatings such as drying oils and varnishes. For a fuller understanding of polymeric compounds, which form the basis of surface coatings, the reader is advised to begin with the article industrial polymers, chemistry of. For an overview of the position of surface coatings within the broader field of industrial polymers, see Industrial Polymers: Outline of Coverage. Additional reading Jacqueline I. Kroschwitz (ed.), Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, 2nd ed., 17 vol. (198590), is the most comprehensive source of information on polymer science and includes articles on the major topics treated in this article; it is also available in a condensed, 1-vol. edition, Concise Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering (1990). Two additional reference works are Geoffrey Allen and John C. Bevington (eds.), Comprehensive Polymer Science: The Synthesis, Characterization, Reactions & Applications of Polymers, 7 vol. (1989); and Joseph C. Salamone (ed.), Polymeric Materials Encyclopedia, 12 vol. (1996). Books on polymer science for the nonscientific reader are Hans-Georg Elias, Mega Molecules (1987; originally published in German, 1985); and Raymond B. Seymour and Charles E. Carraher, Giant Molecules: Essential Materials for Everyday Living and Problem Solving (1990).Excellent texts on coatings science are R. Lambourne (ed.), Paint and Surface Coatings: Theory and Practice (1987, reissued 1993), emphasizing the characterization and properties of coatings; and Zeno W. Wicks, Jr., Frank N. Jones, and S. Peter Pappas, Organic Coatings: Science and Technology, 2 vol. (199294), on the organic and polymer chemistry of coatings. Raymond B. Seymour and Herman F. Mark, Handbook of Organic Coatings: A Comprehensive Guide for the Coatings Industry (1990), is a useful reference work. Monographs in the Federation Series on Coatings Technology, published by the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology, present introductory materials for developing a qualitative understanding of coatings science. Fred W. Billmeyer, Jr., and Max Saltzman, Principles of Color Technology, 2nd ed. (1981), though somewhat dated, remains an excellent introductory text on colour as applied to coatings. Temple C. Patton, Paint Flow and Pigment Dispersion: A Rheological Approach to Coating and Ink Technology, 2nd ed. (1979), covers material neglected elsewhere and remains valuable in spite of its lack of current information. Joseph V. Koleske (ed.), Paint and Coatings Testing Manual (1995), is a comprehensive work written by experts and includes chapters on the raw materials, properties, and characterization of surface coatings. Edward D. Cohen and Edgar B. Gutoff (eds.), Modern Coating and Drying Technology (1992); and Edgar B. Gutoff, Edward D. Cohen, and Gerald I. Kheboian, Coating and Drying Defects (1995), are excellent, technically advanced volumes on coatings application and curing and drying, emphasizing continuous application processes such as roll coating. Gordon P. Bierwagen