Mike Mata
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After painting for 20 years, I ended up working the next 15, for DuPont Performance Coatings in the “product group”.
What I found was that paint science is a [u]very[/u] deep well, that unless one wants to pursue a polymer chemist degree, it’s
best to stick with learning the ABC’s of paint compositions. For example:What is pigment? What is meant by the term “vehicle” in a paint composition?
What are binders? What are extenders? What are surfactants?
What is a dispersion?Paint science terminology, is another very interesting, but widely misunderstood area
that is fun to learn the truth about, as opposed to perceptions created by “marketing terms”.
as seen on paint cans (e.g. Polyurethane). You may want to start at “The Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology”What I was told at DuPont was to be careful because with a tiny bit of paint chemisty knowledge
it is very easy to get in over one’s head, especially if ya try to talk about it to other lay people in a shop.Obviously one does not need to know any of this to paint cars, but I think it’s great
that you have an interest in coatings science.No paint company will cover anything more than the very basics, because ya really do have to be
a chemist to put any further knowledge to use in any meaningful way. Not only that, but paint reps
themselves are not taught much beyond this, because some have been know to confuse the hell out
of themselves and customers. Chemists are very careful what they say to sales reps visiting the lab.Good luck & have fun!
Not sure what DuPont reps meant by “pinched”, but I assume it was a “starved look” or “tight peel/texture.
(Been painting since 1970)IMO paint guns controls are [u]supposed to be adjusted[/u], to meet the requrements of the situation. That is:
1) [b]Size of the work [/b](e.g. small objects require a smaller fan and less fluid delivery, than large ones such as a big truck)
2). [b]Speed of application desired or required [/b](i.e. faster application reqires more material than does slow & visa versa)I opine there is definitely a “sweet spot” where one can see/confirm best atomization, for a given product’s solid content
viscosity, sheer response and so on.There seems to be lack of clarity the “Wide Open” settings, reccomendation. Guys at our shop say DuPont reps told
them this is Sata’s official recommendation, however I have not been able to verify this directly with Dan Am.Sharpe tech folks wrote me back saying they do not reccomend this, and I agree.
I’ve spent several days with Sata’s top guys (Dan Am) on more than one occasion and I don’t
recall the “Wide Open” reccomendation, but I’ve heard it from enough people now to believe
it could be true. If it is true, I would like to know why and how then, the above “adjustment scenarios”
can all be met with one setting (especially the small stuff like door jam cutins etcetera)?-Mike Mata Pittsburgh PA
Where is GTA? Thks.