Waterbased coating for wood finishing

Water based finishing materials 

Water based coatings or waterborne coating is a finishing material which use water as his main thinner. The environmental issues, such as the climate change and global warming have encouraged people to use the products and technologies that are considered more environmentally friendly. To meet this challenge, the finishing industry has also do many research and development to make the products to be more environmentally friendly. Water based finishing material that use water as the main solvent is one of the answers to the finishing industry that is safe, environmentally friendly.
The water based coating technology was developed and introduced in the finishing industry since long time ago, started in about 1970. In that era there was new act about the environment friendly product that encouraged to the water based technology. From that time the water based finishing technology was growing and widespread to various finishing industry. And now, the water based finishing technology is highly developed already; some problems of water based coating is already minimized and overcome. Some water based finishing materials even perform better than solvent base materials.

There are several kind of water based finishing materials that is known and widely used for wood finishing.

• Water based coating

Water based coatings or waterborne coating is a film-forming material.  According to its name, the material uses water as its major solvent. Water based a coating that is commonly used for wood finishing is usually made of resin acrylic or one component polyurethane. These material resin is naturally insoluble in the water, then it is dissolved in a solvent that is dissolved each other with water and has slower evaporation rate then water. The mixture of the resin is solved at the solvent and then dispersed in the water. In the drying process the water will evaporate first and then followed by the solvent. The finishing materials mix will be docked with the solvent, and when the solvent is completely evaporated, the coating will dry and produce a hard coating film. Now, the water based coating is already widely used as a clear coating with satisfactory results, although of course it still can not perform as the solvent base material. This material is available in the form of clear sealer, top coat or pigmented coating.

•   Water based filler

Water based filler has been widely used in wood finishing. Water based filler is be able to fill the pores and grain with good results. This material is relatively easy in application, once it is dry is very easy to be sanded. The application of this filler is about the same with the application of the solvent base filler. In the production of flat surfaces panels and cabinets in high volume, the water based filler is applied with a reverse roller coater.  The application with reverse roller coater and oven can be done in high speed. The raw panels are feed to the roller machine where the filler is applied by the roller, then the panel is heated by the high temperature oven to be dried. The whole process is done in few minutes. And when the panel out of this machine, the filler is already dry and can be directly taken to the the sanding machine.

•   Water based-stain.

Water based stain is also has been very popular and widely used in furniture finishing industry. This stain can be applied by spray, brush or dipping. Dipping with water based stain can be more easily done because the water based stain is dry slower. It can be controlled easier then the fast dry stain. Water based stain has also been widely used for staining by dipping process for the rattan or small component wood with high material transfer efficiency. When it is completely dry, the stain can be layered with either solvent base or water based coating.

•  Water based paint, enamel or base coat.

This material is a solid color stain to produce the solid color or opaque color finish. This stain is made from a pigment mixed with water base clear coating. This maternal is rather difficult in application. It tend to sag or drifting since it is slow dry character. For applications at the flat panel, the material could be applied by roller coater. With the roller coater machine the stain application can be done in high speed with high efficiency.

Now, the trend to use the water based finishing is increasing. The sentiment to the environment and the price of the solvent makes the water based material is more preferred. Water based finishing technology also is increasingly developed. Its difficulties and weaknesses is much solved and reduced, and probably it will be the main finishing material in the future.

Some advantages of the use of water based material:  

•  Water based material is relatively safe.

The fire is one of the greatest risks in a finishing room. All solvents and solvent base finishing materials are flammable. Since this reason, a finishing room must be equipped with high standard of safety equipment. Water based finishing material that uses water as its main solvent, of course is much safer than solvent base materials.

•   Water base material is more environmentally friendly.

The finishing process that uses solvents would emit the gas from the evaporation of his solvent either at the application and the drying process. Water based finishes will certainly release less solvent to the air and produce less pollutant to the environment.

•  Water based materials give added value as an environment-friendly materials.

Currently the world community faces the big issues regarding the environmental. The issues affect people's behavior in buying and choosing the product. People prefer to use the goods that are considered be more environmentally friendly. The products with water based finishing has an added value as the friendly environment good.