Acrylic paint for wood finishing

The meaning of acrylic paint or coatings is the paint or coatings that use acrylic resin as its main ingredient. In coatings terminology, the acrylic resin is the resin from polymer and co-polymer of esters of methacrylic and acrylic acid. The co-polymers these ester resin with the non–acrylic monomer such as: styrene, butadiene or vinyl acetate are still named as acrylic resin. The acrylic resin can be manufactured conveniently in several physical forms: the acrylic emulsions, the solvent solution and the powder pallet. The acrylic resins then can be modified in the formulation of the final product.

In the finishing industry, the acrylic resin is usually mixed with other resin to make the specific formula to make coating or paint. The uses of the acrylic resin in the coating industry is very broad. It is one of the most versatile resins used in the coating field. The ad of acrylic resin in the coating will increase the stability, good exterior durability, excellent color retention, resistance to the UV light, and chemical resistance.

There are some types of paint that can be named as acrylic paint. When it is in the coating form, the "acrylic resin" paints could have different properties each other and we might be not able to be mixed them in the finishing application. When we are going to use the acrylic paint, we have to read carefully how it should be used. We always need to follow the technical data sheet and the instruction to get the maximum result.

In the wood finishing, the acrylic paint usually refers to the non yellowing coating (the thinner based paint), the latex paint and the water based paint. 

 latex paint finish

• Acrylic paint (latex paint).

It is a paint containing suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion mixed with pigment. It is available in many colors and most used to the wall paint or the decorative coating. The acrylic paint is diluted with water, but it becomes water-resistant when it dries. This paints also available in the other special form to be used for hand paint.

In the wood finishing the acrylic water based paint is usually used to make paint finish. It can give the thick and strong opaque color. It is also can be used to make some special finish effect such as: wash finish, texture effect, crackle effect, etc. The use of acrylic paint in the wood finishing usually is combined with other coating such as: NC, PU or acrylic coating. 

• Oil acrylic paint.

The oil acrylic paint is made of acrylic resin solution or powder form which is mixed with pigments. It is oil base paint. This paint is widely used by the artist painter to do he hand painting. It can produce bright color and available in wide range of color. It is oil base, so it takes long time to dry.  

• Acrylic lacquer.

Acrylic lacquer refers to the non-yellowing lacquer. The acrylic resin in the lacquer wills ad the resistance to the UV light, but the pure acrylic lacquer is rarely used, since it hard, brittle and expensive. The dry film resulted will not turn to yellow. It is used to make the white finish or light color finish, when the film yellowing is not allowed. The acrylic resin that is mixed with cellulose acetate butyrate is the most popular non yellowing lacquer.  

 non yellowing PU for white finish

• Acrylic Polyurethane.

Polyurethane is a polymer that is formed from the urethane polymerization reaction. Urethane produced from the reaction between the poly isocyanate with the materials that have hydroxyl group. When the acrylic is used as the hydroxyl group resin, it is called the acrylic PU. It is the non yellowing Polyurethane coating. It is used to make PU finish for the white color.

• Water based coatings.

The water based coatings is the emulsion aqueous solution. The water based coating is made of acrylic resin, modified acrylic or one component urethane. The water based acrylic resin is the acrylic emulsion. It is similar with the latex paint but it is clear. It is diluted with water, but when it dries it will hard and strong and resistant to the water.  It is produce non yellowing film, fast dry and has high resistance to the chemical, solvent and mechanical abuse. The water based coating now is very popular since the environmentally issue.