Not Just For The Eye

The days when colors and plasters were used exclusively for design purposes are long gone. For decades, the industry has been working with increasing success on numerous additional functional benefits of interior wall and facade paints and plasters. A market overview

by Susanne Sachsenmaier-Wahl

The demands on interior wall paints and plasters have increased enormously in recent years. A color that is only used for decoration is often no longer enough. Instead, a high level of cleaning ability, resistance to disinfectants or even protection against germs or bacteria is desired. In addition, modern interior paints and plasters should improve the indoor air, regulate moisture or shield electromagnetic waves if necessary. Thanks to the constant development of colors, it is now also possible to get a handle on product-specific weaknesses such as the writing and polishing effect or pigment abrasion. And last but not least, interior paints must also meet the increased requirements for a largely structure-free look on extremely smooth substrates. A central topic on the facade is the reduction of the tendency to soiling. However, the mechanical strength of plasters (for example in composite thermal insulation systems) is said to be higher today. In the meantime, special pigments in facade colors reduce the heating of the same and thus also allow extremely dark or intensely colored coatings to be carried out on the (insulated) facade. And what sounds strange is already a reality: facade paints can help convert harmful nitrogen oxides from the air into harmless nitrates. In the meantime, special pigments in facade colors reduce the heating of the same and thus also allow extremely dark or intensely colored coatings to be carried out on the (insulated) facade. And what sounds strange is already a reality: facade paints can help convert harmful nitrogen oxides from the air into harmless nitrates. In the meantime, special pigments in facade colors reduce the heating of the same and thus also allow extremely dark or intensely colored coatings to be carried out on the (insulated) facade. And what sounds strange is already a reality: facade paints can help convert harmful nitrogen oxides from the air into harmless nitrates.

In the following, innovative products are described, which are referred to as so-called “functional coatings” due to their special capabilities and not only serve the eye of the beholder. The products mentioned are examples. The product information does not claim to be complete.

Matt and easy to clean

Two factors are decisive for the good cleanability of a wall paint. On the one hand, the individual components such as fillers and pigments should be firmly integrated in the binder in order to prevent these substances from being removed or destroyed during cleaning. On the other hand, the coating surface should be dense and therefore not very porous in order to offer less contact surface for the contaminants. All of these requirements are met by glossy or semi-gloss interior wall paints. However, matt wall coatings are currently the trend - and these are generally only partially cleanable.

The demand for a product, which combines the technical benefit of a glossy latex paint with the optical aesthetics of matt dispersion paints, was therefore increasing. The manufacturers have taken up this challenge and developed products with which the balancing act between the conflicting requirements can be achieved.

The principle of cleanability for these matt interior paints is based on a special binder-filler combination that is optimally coordinated. A highly water-resistant special binder prevents the surface from swelling when it comes into contact with water and ensures that individual product components are firmly integrated in the binder matrix. The special combination of fillers, eg made of ceramic particles, is at the same time very hard and resistant to mechanical stress such as chafing or scratching. Soiling common in the household, such as food residues from red wine, ketchup, coffee, but also watery felt-tip pens or shoe polish, can be easily removed without any traces of cleaning.

In comparison to conventional matt colors, the matt special colors significantly reduce the appearance of the polishing effect. This effect arises from the intensive rubbing of the coating surface with an object such as a cloth or sponge. The matting fillers of the outer layer are removed and the surface appears shiny. The extremely robust (ceramic) fillers largely withstand such loads and reduce the risk of gloss accumulation. Examples of matt, easy-to-clean interior colors are "PremiumClean" from Caparol, "SigmaClean Matt" or "KeraPaint Classic" from Dinova / ProfiTec.

High-tech in color

In the case of dark shades of matt interior wall paint, the so-called writing effect, also known as whitening, is particularly pronounced. Even a slight mechanical stress on the surface, e.g. scratching with your fingernail, creates bright abrasion that appears shiny in the grazing light. The reason for the streaking: Every opaque color also contains fillers, as is known. In the case of colored coatings, they are overlaid by pigments. In the case of glossy paints, the pigments are enveloped by the binder, whereas in the case of matt paints they are exposed on the surface. When touching or rubbing matt surfaces, the pigments are pushed aside - the light fillers come to light.

The paint manufacturers have also tackled this problem and developed matt interior colors that are largely resistant to the writing effect even with the strongest colors. This property is made possible by the use of special binders and fillers (eg carbon-based). These fillers protect the pigments anchored in the binder due to their extreme hardness against abrasion and prevent the formation of the stripes characteristic of the writing effect. At the same time, the fillers used enable a high color intensity and brilliance of individual colors due to their low intrinsic color. Examples of interior colors where the writing effect is reduced: "Vetrolux" by Brillux, "PremiumColor" by Caparol, "KeraPaint Premium" by Dinova / ProfiTec, "Titanium ASE" by Sto.

Speaking of carbon: The paint manufacturers have also used the extreme hardness of this material on the facade. The use of carbon fibers, for example in reinforcing fillers, gives the ETICS a higher level of robustness. Typical façade loads such as tight soccer shots, kicking or roughly leaning against bicycles are compensated safely and without damage (eg "Alprotect Carbon" from alsecco, "Carbon S" from Caparol).

"Heat shield" for the facade

Also primarily for use on ETICS, colors were developed that contain special pigments that reflect large parts of the sun's energy - in the invisible near-infrared region (NIR) - and thereby prevent the facade from heating up excessively. This innovation takes into account the trend towards strongly colored, dark and color-intensive facades or partial areas. With conventional, intensely colored plasters, there was great tension in the plaster layer. The resulting damage patterns are well known. They show up over flat crack patterns up to plaster flaking. Plaster detachments can also be seen in composite thermal insulation systems with polystyrene rigid foam panels. An EPS insulation material begins to melt from approx. 70 degrees Celsius,so that the contact surface with the plaster layer is lost at higher temperatures. Specially pigmented facade paints have the ability to keep a temperature peak caused by solar radiation below 70 degrees Celsius. The respective temperature peaks are reduced by 15 to 20 percent compared to a standard pigmentation. In many cases, this means that surfaces can be created that are significantly below the usual lower limit of 15 for the lightness value. Examples of heat-reflecting systems: “Solid plus facade” from Alligator, “Alprotect Nova” from alsecco, “CoolPigments” from Baumit, “SolReflex” from Brillux, “DarkSide” from Caparol, “Coolit” from Keim, “CoolColours” from Relius, "Ultra Cool" from Sigma Coatings.to keep a temperature peak caused by solar radiation below 70 degrees Celsius. The respective temperature peaks are reduced by 15 to 20 percent compared to a standard pigmentation. In many cases, this means that surfaces can be created that are significantly below the usual lower limit of 15 for the lightness value. Examples of heat-reflecting systems: “Solid plus facade” from Alligator, “Alprotect Nova” from alsecco, “CoolPigments” from Baumit, “SolReflex” from Brillux, “DarkSide” from Caparol, “Coolit” from Keim, “CoolColours” from Relius, "Ultra Cool" from Sigma Coatings.to keep a temperature peak caused by solar radiation below 70 degrees Celsius. The respective temperature peaks are reduced by 15 to 20 percent compared to a standard pigmentation. In many cases, this means that surfaces can be created that are significantly below the usual lower limit of 15 for the lightness value. Examples of heat-reflecting systems: “Solid plus facade” from Alligator, “Alprotect Nova” from alsecco, “CoolPigments” from Baumit, “SolReflex” from Brillux, “DarkSide” from Caparol, “Coolit” from Keim, “CoolColours” from Relius, "Ultra Cool" from Sigma Coatings. In many cases, this means that surfaces can be created that clearly fall below the usual lower limit of 15 for the lightness value. Examples of heat-reflecting systems: “Solid plus facade” from Alligator, “Alprotect Nova” from alsecco, “CoolPigments” from Baumit, “SolReflex” from Brillux, “DarkSide” from Caparol, “Coolit” from Keim, “CoolColours” from Relius, "Ultra Cool" from Sigma Coatings. In many cases, this means that surfaces can be created that clearly fall below the usual lower limit of 15 for the lightness value. Examples of heat-reflecting systems: “Solid plus facade” from Alligator, “Alprotect Nova” from alsecco, “CoolPigments” from Baumit, “SolReflex” from Brillux, “DarkSide” from Caparol, “Coolit” from Keim, “CoolColours” from Relius, "Ultra Cool" from Sigma Coatings.

Shield radiation

If you want to protect yourself from low and high frequency loads from outside or from adjoining rooms, a special wall coating is an effective means. The special surface coating demonstrably attenuates electromagnetic radiation (high frequency) such as radar or cell phone radiation that penetrates into rooms through external or partition walls, up to 99.9 percent (30dB). Alternating electrical fields (low frequency), such as those emitted by installations, power lines in walls and electrical devices, are even reduced by up to 99.999 percent (50 dB). The pigmented base coating is processed in two steps, as the shielding effect increases with the layer thickness. In addition, the coating is grounded by a qualified electrician using a copper tape. The adhesion-promoting material can be diluted with water and is vapor-diffusible. Product example: “ElektroShield” from Caparol.

Improve air quality

In photocatalysis, a substance (= catalyst) is stimulated by light (= photo) to trigger or accelerate a chemical reaction without consuming itself. The principle of photocatalysis is not new: With the help of light and chlorophyll as a catalyst, plants have always been producing oxygen and glucose. The paint manufacturers have also been relying on this effect for several years. Under the influence of light, a catalyst, usually a particularly fine-particle titanium dioxide pigment, becomes active in the paint, which neutralizes organic odors and pollutants in the indoor and outdoor air. In the interior, organic dirt, such as nicotine deposits or unpleasant smells and bacteria, on walls and ceilings is reduced through the use of these colors. Interior colors that take effect with the help of UV light,are for example " CapaSan "from Caparol," Frischeweiß "from Auro or" SigmaImpuls "from Sigma Coatings. "Climasan" from Sto is the first and so far only interior color that does not require UV light. Conventional interior lighting is sufficient to start the cleaning process.

On the facade, harmful nitrogen oxides can be converted into harmless nitrates using the photocatalyst. In addition, algae and organic dirt are decomposed by the photocatalytic effect. Facade paints that can degrade pollutants include “Soldalit-ME” from Keim, “Siloxan NOx” from Sigma Coatings and “Photosan” from Sto. Brillux takes advantage of the cleaning power of photocatalysis in the “Evocryl” facade color.

For sensitive areas

More and more people are allergic to various stimuli from the environment. Formaldehyde and isothiazolinones, which are often used as preservatives in paints, can also cause allergic reactions such as watery eyes or reddening of the skin. Numerous paint manufacturers therefore now offer interior paints for the highest demands on indoor air hygiene (eg "Kieselit Bio-Mineral" from Alligator, "Silicate Interior Paint ELF 1806" from Brillux, "Sensitive" from Caparol, "Biosil" from Keim, "Silicate Bio Interior color”from Zero). A special purity of the raw materials and strict germ control during production guarantee the highest quality. The colors are particularly suitable for sensitive areas and rooms in which people spend a long time: children's rooms,This includes bedrooms and living rooms as well as publicly used kindergartens, schools, medical practices and hospitals.

For antimicrobial interior coatings in areas with high room hygiene requirements, such as hospitals, clinics, medical practices, nursing homes, canteen kitchens or the food industry, coatings with innovative silver technology are also offered. This provides an optimal and long-lasting protection of the coating film against germ and bacterial infestation (including Escheria coli, Staphylococcus aureus) and is mold-resistant without polluting the room air (eg "Sigma Immun" from SigmaCoatings, "Sanoprotex" from Sikkens, "Healthtec" from Zero).

For smooth walls

What has long been standard in many countries is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany. The desire for absolutely smooth wall surfaces. It is increasingly desired to have structureless coatings on smoothed walls. The natural rolling structure of the paint, which had been accepted until then, is now often undesirable and poses a special challenge for the craftsman.

The development of interior wall paints with a varnish-like gradient, but which also have a dull matt surface and are emission-minimized and solvent-free, was a major challenge for the paint manufacturers. But this has also been mastered in the meantime and the first products are available on the market (eg "Sensocryl ELF 266" and "Glemalux ELF 1000" from Brillux, "PremiumFine" from Caparol, "StoColor Supermatt"). When processing these special products, the tool recommendations of the respective manufacturer should be observed, because this is the only way to achieve the desired effect.

And last but not least, there is the long-running topic in the paint industry: How do facades stay clean the longest? There is a multitude of innovations here that are certainly not the last. One solution to this problem is to prevent dirt particles from adhering with hard, less swelling binder structures. This is the principle used by Caparol's “ThermoSan”, which forms a dense, mineral-hard three-dimensional quartz network through organically cross-linked nano-quartz structures. "DinoSil-Keralith" from Dinova uses ceramic technology to prevent dirt. Alligator's “Kieselit Fusion” combines nanotechnology with photocatalysis to tackle dirt. The hybrid facade paint “SmartClean” from Sigma enables a special nano-scaleinorganic modification of the polymer binder optimizes dirt-repellent coating surfaces. During the development of the "Dryonic" facade color, Sto copied the microstructure-based principle of action from the tank of the mist-drinking beetle. Rain and especially dew cannot collect on the microstructured surface of the paint like with conventional paints and is also not absorbed by the facade system. It is distributed over a large area and is quickly removed. This permanent bionic effect, which is given even when realizing very intense colors, keeps the facade surface dry and clean. The alsecco solution ("shower effect") for functional facades is based on a hydrophobic formulation for reinforcement, plaster and paint. Additionally occurring interfacial forces between the final coating and the water drops ensure an ideal distribution of hydrophobic and hydrophilic components and, consequently, for a uniform irrigation of the facade. This in turn is the reason why the facade is wetted but also cleaned. The list of innovations from the color laboratories could certainly be continued. So it is definitely worth taking a closer look at the manufacturers' new developments or, even better, trying them out. This market overview makes one thing clear: there is a whole lot of high-tech in paints and plasters!that the facade is wetted but also cleaned. The list of innovations from the color laboratories could certainly be continued. So it is definitely worth taking a closer look at the manufacturers' new developments or, even better, trying them out. This market overview makes one thing clear: there is a whole lot of high-tech in paints and plasters!that the facade is wetted but also cleaned. The list of innovations from the color laboratories could certainly be continued. So it is definitely worth taking a closer look at the manufacturers' new developments or, even better, trying them out. This market overview makes one thing clear: there is a whole lot of high-tech in paints and plasters!

PRACTICE PLUS

There is not enough space in this overview to describe each technology in detail. If you are interested in one or the other innovation, you can find detailed information on the manufacturer's websites. The contact details can also be found there.

www.alligator.de

www.alsecco.de

www.auro.de

www.baumit.de

www.brillux.de

www.caparol.de

www.dinova.de

www.keimfarben.de

www.profitec.de

www.sigmacoatings.de

www.sikkens.de

www.sto.de

www.zero-lack.de