Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a

thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture to objects.
Paint can be made or purchased in many colors—and in many different types, such as watercolor or
synthetic. Paint is typically stored, sold, and applied as a liquid, but most types dry into a solid.

History[edit]

A charcoal and ochre cave painting of Megaloceros from Lascaux, France

Paint was one of the earliest inventions of mankind. Some cave paintings drawn with red or yellow
ochre, hematite, manganese oxide, and charcoal may have been made by early Homo sapiens as long
as 40,000 years ago.[1] Paint may be even older. In 2003 and 2004, South African archeologists reported
finds in Blombos Cave of a 100,000-year-old human-made ochre-based mixture that could have been
used like paint.[2][3] Further excavation in the same cave resulted in the 2011 report of a complete toolkit for
grinding pigments and making a primitive paint-like substance.[3][4]
Ancient colored walls at Dendera, Egypt, which were exposed for years to the elements, still possess
their brilliant color, as vivid as when they were painted about 2,000 years ago. The Egyptians mixed their
colors with a gummy substance and applied them separately from each other without any blending or
mixture. They appear to have used six colors: white, black, blue, red, yellow, and green. They first
covered the area entirely with white, then traced the design in black, leaving out the lights of the ground
color. They used minium for red, generally of a dark tinge.
Pliny mentions some painted ceilings in his day in the town of Ardea, which had been made prior to the
foundation of Rome. He expressed great surprise and admiration at their freshness, after the lapse of so
many centuries.
Paint was made with the yolk of eggs and therefore, the substance would harden and adhere to the
surface it was applied to. Pigment was made from plants, sand, and different soils. Most paints used
either oil or water as a base (the diluent, solvent or vehicle for the pigment).
A still extant example of 17th-century house oil painting is Ham House in Surrey, England, where a primer
was used along with several undercoats and an elaborate decorative overcoat; the pigment and oil
mixture would have been ground into a paste with a mortar and pestle. The process was done by hand by
the painters, which exposed them to lead poisoning, due to the white-lead powder.
In 1718, Marshall Smith invented a "Machine or Engine for the Grinding of Colours" in England. It is not
known precisely how it operated, but it was a device that increased the efficiency of pigment grinding
dramatically. Soon, a company called Emerton and Manby was advertising exceptionally low-priced
paints that had been ground with labour-saving technology:
One Pound of Colour ground in a Horse-Mill will paint twelve Yards of Work, whereas Colour
ground any other Way, will not do half that Quantity.
By the proper onset of the Industrial Revolution, in the mid-18th century, paint was being ground in
steam-powered mills, and an alternative to lead-based pigments had been found in a white derivative
of zinc oxide. Interior house painting increasingly became the norm as the 19th century progressed,
both for decorative reasons and because the paint was effective in preventing the walls rotting from
damp. Linseed oil was also increasingly used as an inexpensive binder.
In 1866, Sherwin-Williams in the United States opened as a large paint-maker and invented a paint
that could be used from the tin without preparation.
It was not until the stimulus of World War II created a shortage of linseed oil in the supply market that
artificial resins, or alkyds, were invented. Cheap and easy to make, they also held the color well and
lasted for a long time.[5][failed verification][citation needed]

Components[edit]
Vehicle[edit]
The vehicle is composed of the binder; or, if it is necessary to thin the binder with a diluent like
solvent or water, it is the combination of binder and diluent.[6][7] In this case, once the paint has dried
or cured very nearly all of the diluent has evaporated and only the binder is left on the coated surface.
Thus, an important quantity in coatings formulation is the "vehicle solids", sometimes called the "resin
solids" of the formula. This is the proportion of the wet coating weight that is binder, i.e. the polymer
backbone of the film that will remain after drying or curing is complete.
Binder or film former[edit]
The binder is the film-forming component of paint.[8] It is the only component that is always present
among all the various types of formulations. Many binders are too thick to be applied and must be
thinned. The type of thinner, if present, varies with the binder.
The binder imparts properties such as gloss, durability, flexibility, and toughness.[9]
Binders include synthetic or natural resins such as alkyds, acrylics, vinyl-acrylics, vinyl
acetate/ethylene (VAE), polyurethanes, polyesters, melamine resins, epoxy, silanes or siloxanes
or oils.
Binders can be categorized according to the mechanisms for film formation. Thermoplastic
mechanisms include drying and coalescence. Drying refers to simple evaporation of the solvent or
thinner to leave a coherent film behind. Coalescence refers to a mechanism that involves drying
followed by actual interpenetration and fusion of formerly discrete particles. Thermoplastic film-
forming mechanisms are sometimes described as "thermoplastic cure" but that is a misnomer
because no chemical curing reactions are required to knit the film. Thermosetting mechanisms, on
the other hand, are true curing mechanism that involve chemical reaction(s) among the polymers that
make up the binder.[10]
Thermoplastic mechanisms: Some films are formed by simple cooling of the binder. For
example, encaustic or wax paints are liquid when warm, and harden upon cooling. In many cases,
they resoften or liquify if reheated.
Paints that dry by solvent evaporation and contain the solid binder dissolved in a solvent are known
as lacquers. A solid film forms when the solvent evaporates. Because no chemical crosslinking is
involved, the film can re-dissolve in solvent; as such, lacquers are unsuitable for applications where
chemical resistance is important. Classic nitrocellulose lacquers fall into this category, as do non-
grain raising stains composed of dyes dissolved in solvent. Performance varies by formulation, but
lacquers generally tend to have better UV resistance and lower corrosion resistance than comparable
systems that cure by polymerization or coalescence.
The paint type known as Emulsion in the UK and Latex in the United States is a water-borne
dispersion of sub-micrometer polymer particles. These terms in their respective countries cover all
paints that use synthetic polymers such as acrylic, vinyl acrylic (PVA), styrene acrylic, etc. as
binders.[11] The term "latex" in the context of paint in the United States simply means an aqueous
dispersion; latex rubber from the rubber tree is not an ingredient. These dispersions are prepared
by emulsion polymerization. Such paints cure by a process called coalescence where first the water,
and then the trace, or coalescing, solvent, evaporate and draw together and soften the binder
particles and fuse them together into irreversibly bound networked structures, so that the paint cannot
redissolve in the solvent/water that originally carried it. The residual surfactants in paint, as well
as hydrolytic effects with some polymers cause the paint to remain susceptible to softening and, over
time, degradation by water. The general term of latex paint is usually used in the United States, while
the term emulsion paint is used for the same products in the UK and the term latex paint is not used
at all.
Thermosetting mechanisms: Paints that cure by polymerization are generally one- or two-package
coatings that polymerize by way of a chemical reaction, and cure into a crosslinked film. Depending
on composition they may need to dry first, by evaporation of solvent. Classic two-
package epoxies or polyurethanes would fall into this category.[12]
The "drying oils", counter-intuitively, actually cure by a crosslinking reaction even if they are not put
through an oven cycle and seem to simply dry in air. The film formation mechanism of the simplest
examples involve first evaporation of solvents followed by reaction with oxygen from the environment
over a period of days, weeks and even months to create a crosslinked
network.[6] Classic alkyd enamels would fall into this category. Oxidative cure coatings are catalyzed
by metal complex driers such as cobalt naphthenate.
Recent environmental requirements restrict the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and
alternative means of curing have been developed, generally for industrial purposes. UV curing paints,
for example, enable formulation with very low amounts of solvent, or even none at all. This can be
achieved because of the monomers and oligomers used in the coating have relatively very low
molecular weight, and are therefore low enough in viscosity to enable good fluid flow without the
need for additional thinner. If solvent is present in significant amounts, generally it is mostly
evaporated first and then crosslinking is initiated by ultraviolet light. Similarly, powder
coatings contain little or no solvent. Flow and cure are produced by heating of the substrate after
electrostatic application of the dry powder.[13]
Combination mechanisms: So-called "catalyzed" lacquers" or "crosslinking latex" coatings are
designed to form films by a combination of methods: classic drying plus a curing reaction that
benefits from the catalyst. There are paints called plastisols/organosols, which are made by blending
PVC granules with a plasticiser. These are stoved and the mix coalesces.
Diluent or solvent or thinner[edit]
The main purposes of the diluent are to dissolve the polymer and adjust the viscosity of the paint. It is
volatile and does not become part of the paint film. It also controls flow and application properties,
and in some cases can affect the stability of the paint while in liquid state. Its main function is as the
carrier for the non volatile components. To spread heavier oils (for example, linseed) as in oil-based
interior house paint, a thinner oil is required. These volatile substances impart their properties
temporarily—once the solvent has evaporated, the remaining paint is fixed to the surface.
This component is optional: some paints have no diluent.
Water is the main diluent for water-borne paints, even the co-solvent types.
Solvent-borne, also called oil-based, paints can have various combinations of organic solvents as the
diluent, including aliphatics, aromatics, alcohols, ketones and white spirit. Specific examples are
organic solvents such as petroleum distillate, esters, glycol ethers, and the like. Sometimes volatile
low-molecular weight synthetic resins also serve as diluents.

Pigment and filler[edit]

Main article: Pigment
Pigments are granular solids incorporated in the paint to contribute color. Fillers are granular solids
incorporated to impart toughness, texture, give the paint special properties, [14] or to reduce the cost of
the paint. During production, the size of such particles can be measured with a Hegman gauge.
Rather than using solid particles, some paints contain dyes instead of or in combination with
pigments.
Pigments can be classified as either natural or synthetic. Natural pigments include
various clays, calcium carbonate, mica, silicas, and talcs. Synthetics would include engineered
molecules, calcined clays, blanc fixe, precipitated calcium carbonate, and synthetic pyrogenic silicas.
Hiding pigments, in making paint opaque, also protect the substrate from the harmful effects
of ultraviolet light. Hiding pigments include titanium dioxide, phthalo blue, red iron oxide, and many
others.
Fillers are a special type of pigment that serve to thicken the film, support its structure and increase
the volume of the paint. Fillers are usually cheap and inert materials, such as diatomaceous
earth, talc, lime, barytes, clay, etc. Floor paints that must resist abrasion may contain fine quartz sand
as a filler. Not all paints include fillers. On the other hand, some paints contain large proportions of
pigment/filler and binder.
Some pigments are toxic, such as the lead pigments that are used in lead paint. Paint manufacturers
began replacing white lead pigments with titanium white (titanium dioxide), before lead was banned in
paint for residential use in 1978 by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The titanium
dioxide used in most paints today is often coated with silica/alumina/zirconium for various reasons,
such as better exterior durability, or better hiding performance (opacity) promoted by more optimal
spacing within the paint film.[15]
Micaceous iron oxide (MIO) is another alternative to lead for protection of steel, giving more
protection against water and light damage than most paints. When MIO pigments are ground into fine
particles, most cleave into shiny layers, which reflect light, thus minimising UV degradation and
protecting the resin binder. Most pigments used in paint tend to be spherical, but lamellar pigments,
such as glass flake and MIO have overlapping plates, which impede the path of water
molecules.[16] For optimum performance MIO should have a high content of thin flake-like particles
resembling mica. ISO 10601 sets two levels of MIO content.[17] MIO is often derived from a form
of hematite.

Additives[edit]
Besides the three main categories of ingredients, paint can have a wide variety of miscellaneous
additives, which are usually added in small amounts, yet provide a significant effect on the product.
Some examples include additives to modify surface tension, improve flow properties, improve the
finished appearance, increase wet edge, improve pigment stability, impart antifreeze properties,
control foaming, control skinning, etc. Other types of additives include catalysts, thickeners,
stabilizers, emulsifiers, texturizers, adhesion promoters, UV stabilizers, flatteners (de-glossing
agents), biocides to fight bacterial growth and the like.
Additives normally do not significantly alter the percentages of individual components in a
formulation.[18]

Color-changing paint[edit]
Various technologies exist for making paints that change color. Thermochromic paints and coatings
contain materials that change conformation when heat is applied or removed, and so they change
color. Liquid crystals have been used in such paints, such as in the thermometer strips and tapes
used in aquaria and novelty/promotional thermal cups and straws. These materials are used to make
eyeglasses.
Color-changing paints can also be made by adding halochrome compounds or other organic
pigments. One patent[19] cites use of these indicators for wall coating applications for light colored
paints. When the paint is wet it is pink in color but upon drying it regains its original white color. As
cited in patent, this property of the paint enabled two or more coats to be applied on a wall properly
and evenly. The previous coats having dried would be white whereas the new wet coat would be
distinctly pink. Ashland Inc. introduced foundry refractory coatings with similar principle in
2005[20][21] for use in foundries.
Electrochromic paints change color in response to an applied electric current. Car
manufacturer Nissan has been reportedly working on an electrochromic paint, based on particles
of paramagnetic iron oxide. When subjected to an electromagnetic field the paramagnetic particles
change spacing, modifying their color and reflective properties. The electromagnetic field would be
formed using the conductive metal of the car body.[22] Electrochromic paints can be applied to plastic
substrates as well, using a different coating chemistry. The technology involves using special dyes
that change conformation when an electric current is applied across the film itself. This new
technology has been used to achieve glare protection at the touch of a button in passenger airplane
windows.
Color can also change depending on viewing angle, using iridescence, for example, in ChromaFlair.

Art[edit]
Main article: Painting

Watercolors as applied with a brush

Since the time of the Renaissance, siccative (drying) oil paints, primarily linseed oil, have been the
most commonly used kind of paints in fine art applications; oil paint is still common today. However,
in the 20th century, water-based paints, including watercolors and acrylic paints, became very
popular with the development of acrylic and other latex paints. Milk paints (also called casein), where
the medium is derived from the natural emulsion that is milk, were popular in the 19th century and are
still available today. Egg tempera (where the medium is an emulsion of raw egg yolk mixed with oil) is
still in use as well, as are encaustic wax-based paints. Gouache is a variety of opaque watercolor that
was also used in the Middle Ages and Renaissance for manuscript illuminations. The pigment was
often made from ground semiprecious stones such as lapis lazuli and the binder made from
either gum arabic or egg white. Gouache, also known as 'designer color' or 'body color' is
commercially available today.
Poster paint has been used primarily in the creation of student works, or by children.

The "painter's mussel", a European freshwater mussel. Individual shell valves were used by artists as a small
dish for paint.
Application[edit]
Paint can be applied as a solid, a gaseous suspension (aerosol) or a liquid. Techniques vary
depending on the practical or artistic results desired.
As a solid (usually used in industrial and automotive applications), the paint is applied as a very fine
powder, then baked at high temperature. This melts the powder and causes it to adhere to the
surface. The reasons for doing this involve the chemistries of the paint, the surface itself, and
perhaps even the chemistry of the substrate (the object being painted). This is called "powder
coating" an object.
As a gas or as a gaseous suspension, the paint is suspended in solid or liquid form in a gas that
is sprayed on an object. The paint sticks to the object. This is called "spray painting" an object. The
reasons for doing this include:

 The application mechanism is air and thus no solid object touches the object being painted;
 The distribution of the paint is uniform, so there are no sharp lines;
 It is possible to deliver very small amounts of paint;
 A chemical (typically a solvent) can be sprayed along with the paint to dissolve together both the
delivered paint and the chemicals on the surface of the object being painted;
 Some chemical reactions in paint involve the orientation of the paint molecules.
In the liquid application, paint can be applied by direct application using brushes, paint
rollers, blades, scrapers, other instruments, or body parts such as fingers and thumbs.
Rollers generally have a handle that allows for different lengths of poles to be attached, allowing
painting at different heights. Generally, roller application requires two coats for even color. A roller
with a thicker nap is used to apply paint on uneven surfaces. Edges are often finished with an angled
brush.

 Using the finish flat one would most likely use a 1/2" nap roller
 Using the finish eggshell one would most likely use a 3/8" nap roller
 Using the finish satin or pearl one would most likely use a 3/8" nap roller
 Using the finish semi-gloss or gloss one would most likely use a 3/16" nap roller
[23]

After liquid paint is applied, there is an interval during which it can be blended with additional painted
regions (at the "wet edge") called "open time". The open time of an oil or alkyd-based emulsion paint
can be extended by adding white spirit, similar glycols such as Dowanol (propylene glycol ether) or
open time prolongers. This can also facilitate the mixing of different wet paint layers for aesthetic
effect. Latex and acrylic emulsions require the use of drying retardants suitable for water-based
coatings.
Paint application by spray is the most popular method in industry. In this, paint is aerosolized by the
force of compressed air or by the action of high pressure compression of the paint itself, and the paint
is turned into small droplets that travel to the article to be painted. Alternate methods are airless
spray, hot spray, hot airless spray, and any of these with an electrostatic spray included. There are
numerous electrostatic methods available.
Dipping used to be the norm for objects such as filing cabinets, but this has been replaced by high
speed air turbine driven bells with electrostatic spray. Car bodies are primed using cathodic
elephoretic primer, which is applied by charging the body depositing a layer of primer. The
unchanged residue is rinsed off and the primer stoved.
Many paints tend to separate when stored, the heavier components settling to the bottom, and
require mixing before use. Some paint outlets have machines for mixing the paint by shaking the can
vigorously for a few minutes.
The opacity and the film thickness of paint may be measured using a drawdown card.
Water-based paints tend to be the easiest to clean up after use; the brushes and rollers can be
cleaned with soap and water.
Proper disposal of left over paint is a challenge. Sometimes it can be recycled: Old paint may be
usable for a primer coat or an intermediate coat, and paints of similar chemistry can be mixed to
make a larger amount of a uniform color.
To dispose of paint it can be dried and disposed of in the domestic waste stream, provided that it
contains no prohibited substances (see container). Disposal of liquid paint usually requires special
handling and should be treated as hazardous waste, and disposed of according to local
regulations.[24][25]

Product variants[edit]

A collection of cans of paint and variants

A huge collection of different kinds of spray cans, markers, paints and inks in the underground graffiti
shop. Russia, Tver City, 2011.

Blue colour paint smears

 Primer is a preparatory coating put on materials before applying the paint itself. The primed
surface ensures better adhesion of the paint, thereby increasing the durability of the paint and
providing improved protection for the painted surface. Suitable primers also may block and seal
stains, or hide a color that is to be painted over.
 Emulsion paints are water-based paints in which the paint material is dispersed in a liquid that
consists mainly of water. For suitable purposes this has advantages in fast drying, low toxicity,
low cost, easier application, and easier cleaning of equipment, among other factors.
 Flat Finish paint is generally used on ceilings or walls that are in bad shape. This finish is useful
for hiding imperfections in walls and it is economical in effectively covering relatively great areas.
However this finish is not easily washable and is subject to staining.
 Matte Finish is generally similar to flat finish, but such paints commonly offer superior washability
and coverage. (See Gloss and matte paint.)
 Eggshell Finish has some sheen, supposedly like that of the shell on an egg. This finish
provides great washability, but is not very effective at hiding imperfections on walls and similar
surfaces. Eggshell finish is valued for bathrooms because it is washable and water repellent, so
that it tends not to peel in a wet environment.
 Pearl (Satin) Finish is very durable in terms of washability and resistance to moisture, even in
comparison to eggshell finish. It protects walls from dirt, moisture and stains. Accordingly, it is
exceptionally valuable for bathrooms, furniture, and kitchens, but it is shinier than eggshell, so it
is even more prone to show imperfections.
 Semi-Gloss Finish typically is used on trim to emphasise detail and elegance, and to show off
woodwork, such as on doors and furniture. It provides a shiny surface and provides good
protection from moisture and stains on walls. Its gloss does however emphasise imperfections
on the walls and similar surfaces. It is popular in schools and factories where washability and
durability are the main considerations.[26]
 High-gloss paint is highly glossy and super shiny form of paint that is light reflecting and has a
mirror like look. It pairs well with other finishes. While it is highly durable and easy to clean, high
gloss paint is known for obvious visibility of imperfections like scratches, dents [27].
 Varnish and shellac are in effect paints without pigment; they provide a protective coating
without substantially changing the color of the surface, though they can emphasise the colour of
the material.
 Wood stain is a type of paint that is formulated to be very "thin", meaning low in viscosity, so that
the pigment soaks into a material such as wood rather than remaining in a film on the surface.
Stain is mainly dissolved pigment or dye plus binder material in solvent. It is designed to add
color without providing a surface coating.
 Lacquer is a solvent-based paint or varnish that produces an especially hard, durable finish.
Usually it is a rapidly drying formulation.
 Enamel paint is formulated to give an especially hard, usually glossy, finish. Some enamel paints
contain fine glass powder or metal flake instead of the color pigments in standard oil-based
paints. Enamel paint sometimes is mixed with varnish or urethane to improve its shine and
hardness.
 A glaze is an additive used with paint to slow drying time and increase translucency, as in faux
painting and for some artistic effects.
 A roof coating is a fluid that sets as an elastic membrane that can stretch without harm. It
provides UV protection to polyurethane foam and is widely used in roof restoration.
 Fingerpaints are formulations suitable for application with the fingers; they are popular for use by
children in primary school activities.
 Inks are similar to paints, except that they are typically made using finely ground pigments or
dyes, and are not designed to leave a thick film of binder. They are used largely for writing
or calligraphy.
 Anti-graffiti coatings are used to defeat the marking of surfaces by graffiti artists or vandals.
There are two categories of anti-graffiti coatings: sacrificial and non-bonding:

 Sacrificial coatings are clear coatings that allow the removal of graffiti, usually by washing
the surface with high-pressure water that removes the graffiti together with the coating
(hence the term "sacrificial"). After removal of the graffiti, the sacrificial coating must be re-
applied for continued protection. Such sacrificial protective coatings are most commonly used
 on natural-looking masonry surfaces, such as statuary and marble walls, and on rougher
surfaces that are difficult to clean.
 Non-bonding coatings are clear, high-performance coatings, usually
catalyzed polyurethanes, that do not bond strongly to paints used for graffiti. Graffiti on such
a surface can be removed with a solvent wash, without damaging either the underlying
surface or the protective non-bonding coating. These coatings work best on smooth surfaces,
and are especially useful on decorative surfaces such as mosaics or painted murals, which
might be expected to suffer harm from high pressure sprays.

 Anti-climb paint is a non-drying paint that appears normal but is extremely slippery. It is
useful on drainpipes and ledges to deter burglars and vandals from climbing them, and is
found in many public places. When a person attempts to climb objects coated with the paint,
it rubs off onto the climber, as well as making it hard for them to climb.
 Anti-fouling paint, or bottom paint, prevents barnacles and other marine organisms from
adhering to the hulls of ships.
 Insulative paint or insulating paint, reduces the rate of thermal transfer through a surface
it's applied to. One type of formulation is based on the addition of hollow microspheres to
any suitable type of paint.
 Anti-slip paint contains chemicals or grit to increase the friction of a surface so as to
decrease the risk of slipping, particularly in wet conditions.
 Road marking paint[28] is specially used to marking and painting road traffic signs and lines,
to form a durable coating film on the road surface. It must be fast drying, provide a thick
coating, and resist wear and slipping, especially in wet conditions.
 Luminous paint or luminescent paint is paint that exhibits luminescence. In other words, it
gives off visible light through fluorescence, phosphorescence, or radioluminescence.

Failure[edit]
The main reasons of paint failure after application on surface are the applicator and improper
treatment of surface.
Defects or degradation can be attributed to:
Dilution
This usually occurs when the dilution of the paint is not done as per manufacturers
recommendation. There can be a case of over dilution and under dilution, as well as dilution with
the incorrect diluent.
Contamination
Foreign contaminants added without the manufacturers consent can cause various film defects.
Peeling/Blistering
Most commonly due to improper surface treatment before application and inherent
moisture/dampness being present in the substrate. The degree of blistering can be assessed
according to ISO 4628 Part 2 or ASTM Method D714 (Standard Test Method for Evaluating
Degree of Blistering of Paints).
Chalking
Chalking is the progressive powdering of the paint film on the painted surface. The primary
reason for the problem is polymer degradation of the paint matrix due to exposure of UV
radiation in sunshine and condensation from dew. The degree of chalking varies as epoxies react
quickly while acrylics and polyurethanes can remain unchanged for long periods. [29] The degree of
chalking can be assessed according to International Standard ISO 4628 Part 6 or 7 or American
Society of Testing and Materials(ASTM) Method D4214 (Standard Test Methods for Evaluating
the Degree of Chalking of Exterior Paint Films).
Cracking
Cracking of paint film is due to the unequal expansion or contraction of paint coats. It usually
happens when the coats of the paint are not allowed to cure/dry completely before the next coat
is applied. The degree of cracking can be assessed according to International Standard ISO 4628
Part 4 or ASTM Method D661 (Standard Test Method for Evaluating Degree of Cracking of
Exterior Paints).
Erosion
Erosion is very quick chalking. It occurs due to external agents like air, water etc. It can be
evaluated using ASTM Method ASTM D662 (Standard Test Method for Evaluating Degree of
Erosion of Exterior Paints). The generation of acid by fungal species can be a significant
component of erosion of painted surfaces.[30] The fungus Aureobasidium pullulans is known for
damaging wall paints.[31]

Dangers[edit]
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint are considered harmful to
the environment and especially for people who work with them on a
regular basis. Exposure to VOCs has been related to organic solvent
syndrome, although this relation has been somewhat
controversial.[32] The controversial solvent 2-butoxyethanol is also used
in paint production.[33]
In the US, environmental regulations, consumer demand, and
advances in technology led to the development of low-VOC and zero-
VOC paints and finishes. These new paints are widely available and
meet or exceed the old high-VOC products in performance and cost-
effectiveness while having significantly less impact on human and
environmental health.[citation needed]
A polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) was reported (published in 2009) in
air samples collected in Chicago, Philadelphia, the Arctic, and several
sites around the Great Lakes. PCB is a global pollutant and was
measured in the wastewater effluent from paint production. The
widespread distribution of PCB suggests volatilization of this
compound from surfaces, roofs etc. PCB is present in consumer goods
including newspapers, magazines, and cardboard boxes, which
usually contain color pigments. Therefore, exist hypothesis that PCB
congeners are present as byproduct in some current commercial
pigments.[34]