Nitrocellulose Finishing System, the Most Beautifull Wood Finish
The NC finishing system is a finishing process using NC (nitrocellulose) as the main coating. Coating is the material that forms a film layer in the finish. There are 2 types of coating: the clear coating and the colored coating. The clear coating is a coating without color; these are the sealer and top coat. While the colored coatings are the coatings with color inside, these are base coat, enamel, and primer. The NC finishing system is a finishing process that uses NC sealer, top coat, or base coat as its main material.
The NC finishing system is a modern finishing process used to replace the previous finishing process that used traditional finishing materials such as shellac, oil, wax, or varnish. The development of NC coating was then followed by the development of other finishing materials such as stain and glaze that are designed to produce the variety of colors and finishing appearances. Furthermore, several special finishing materials were also developed to produce special effects such as waxing lacquer, powder glaze, crackle lacquer, veiling lacquer, etc. All those special materials were generally made to be applied together with the NC system. Thus, until now, the NC finishing system is still the best system for wood in terms of beauty, color, and appearance variations.
Advantages of the NC system
- Simple, fast and easy
NC coating is a 1-component coating that can dry at room temperature. The application of this coating is relatively simple and easy. It does not need an oven or special room. The dried coating layer can be easily dissolved with the solvent. It makes the finishing easy to be revised if there is something wrong with the color or appearance. The new coating can be applied on the previous film easily to make a multilayer finishing coat. The NC is a solvent-based coating that can dry at room temperature with less sensitivity to the room conditions. This fast-drying character makes this coating able to accommodate the “special look” finish that needs many steps and the complicated process. The NC coating layer is not too sensitive to the presence of dust and temperature and humidity of the finishing room. The NC finishing process can be done in the "simple room" and does not need a special room, such as PU or melamine coating.
- The best appearance and color
The film layer produced by NC coating performs the clear and thin film with a natural appearance. No other coating can give the clarity as the NC coating. The NC is the best coating in terms of color and appearance. With the right process, the NC coating will maximize the wood's natural beauty.
- Wide range choices of colors and appearances
NC coating has the most complete supporting material to make many finishing colors look. Most of the coloring materials, such as stains and glazes, work well with the NC finishing system. Most of the special materials to make many special effects are designed to be applied in the NC finishing system. Therefore, the NC finishing system is the most complete and easy-to-use finishing system. especially when the special colors and appearances are needed. It is also compatible with other types of coatings that make this finishing have a wide range of applications for wood and furniture finishing.
The disadvantages of the NC system
Behind all its advantages, NC coating also has several disadvantages that must be acknowledged by the finishing player. Here are some of the weaknesses of the NC finishing system
- Yellowing
The NC finish will turn yellow after a certain time. This yellowing phenomenon may not be a problem for the finishing with a dark or brown color. For the wood brown color, the yellowing even makes the effect of "patina look" that may enhance the finishing beauty. But for white and light colors, this yellowing potentially interferes with the appearance and color of the finishing. The yellowing film will change the finishing color of the product, which means the inconsistency in color.
- Low resistance to the solvents, chemicals and physical abuse
The film layer of NC coating generally cannot provide the high-resistant finish. The NC coating film is a thermoplastic film that will be ruined when it is exposed to the solvent and chemicals. The NC film is also relatively soft and cannot withstand physical abuses such as scratches, high temperatures, or other strong physical treatment. The NC finishing is not recommended for products that require maximum protection from the physically and chemically exposed, such as dining tables, furniture for restaurants, cafes, etc. The NC film is also not strong enough for outdoor weather; then it is not suitable for outdoor products.
- Thin film layer.
NC coating has low solid content; generally, the NC coating in the application has a solid content of around 18%. The higher solid content will immediately increase the viscosity of the coating, making the application process difficult. Therefore, this coating is not suitable for finishing that requires a thick film layer. To build the thick film layer, many coating layers will be needed, which will take a long time and consume a lot of material. The thick film finish with NC coating is also a risk to the crack problem.
- Flammable material
NC coating is a highly flammable material. It is made of the wood fibers, which were used as the main fuel in human life before fossil fuels and electricity were invented. Moreover, this coating is used together with solvents and thinners, which are also flammable materials. If you use a lot of NC coating, then you need to consider the fire risk. The firefighter system and equipment must be prepared to anticipate the fire hazard.
The finishing system
Currently, the NC finishing system is also widely used with several variations together with other types of coating to meet the demands of color and appearance.
- Full NC
It is the finishing process that uses full NC coating for the whole process. The NC sealer and top coat are used to cover and coat the wood stains in the finishing process. For the solid color, the NC base coat or NC primer coat is used to make the paint color. Glaze application can be added to form the patina effect or other antique effects. If a close pore finish is needed, then a filler application is needed to fill the wood pores and grain. The solvent-based stain is most used for the NC finishing system. By adjusting the stain and solvent used, many model stain applications can be carried out to meet the desired color and appearance.
- NC combined with PU
NC combined with PU is often used to produce a finish with a thick film layer. PU sealer or PU base coat is used at the beginning of the process to help form a thick film layer that is difficult to be obtained with the NC coating. The NC layer is applied over the PU film layer to make the finishing process easier and faster.
- NC combined with UV coating
The NC system combined with UV coating is used for the simple-look finish with the purpose of speeding up the process and reducing finishing costs. UV coating is applied at the beginning of the process to form a thick and strong film layer. The NC is layered above it to form the desired color and appearance. This process will reduce the consumption of the materials, shorten the finishing process, and finally lower the finishing cost. But due to the limitations of the UV coating application process, this process only works for flat objects and simple colors.
- NC combined with Melamine
The NC system combined with melamine is done to produce a finishing with a thick film layer. Like PU coating, melamine coating is used as a material to fill and cover wood grain and pores before continuing with the application of NC coating on top.
- NC combined with vinyl
NC combined with vinyl is usually used to increase the adhesion of the finishing layer. It is usually needed to do the special substrates that require better adhesion, such as rattan, leather, water hyacinth, or raffia, and other synthetic materials. The vinyl coating is used as the first layer to increase the adhesion to the substrates. The NC coating can be applied on the vinyl coating to form the color and look needed.
- NC combined with water base
The NC, combined with a water-based coating, has been used when the water-based finishing material is introduced. There are many water-based finishing materials that can be used together with NC coating. Water-based stain and water-based filler usually can be applied together with NC coating without any problem as long as the materials are completely dry before being covered with the NC coating.
Some water-based coatings (sealer, topcoat, and paint), especially the 1-component type, can be applied over NC with good results. And conversely, several types of water-based coatings (sealer, top coat, or base coat) can be coated with NC coating on top with good results.
Consideration for the NC finishing system
Nitrocellulose finishing is the right choice for those who want a natural and elegant wood finish at an affordable price; however, not all products are suitable for NC finishing. It has some disadvantages that need to be recognized before you decide to choose the finishing system. Make sure you understand the product use and choose the best suit finishing system to make it. Make a step panel to obtain the finishing required before doing the big volume production. Some tests may need to be done to make sure the finishing quality is according to the requirements.
The hybrid system (NC coating in combination with other coatings) must be considered as the NC finish. It has strength and durability as an NC finish and has a yellowing phenomenon that must be understood when you choose the finishing process.
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