Weathering the Storm: Testing Paints for Extreme Climate Performance

As climate conditions in India become increasingly unpredictable and harsh, the paint and coating industry faces significant challenges from UV rays, humidity, and acid rain.

Outdoor weather stresses regular paints due to exposure to UV rays, temperature swings, moisture, oxygen, and pollutants. To tackle these extreme issues, the paint and coating industry can introduce smart coatings and innovative solutions. This is the time when aesthetics can meet functionality and protection.

The industry conducts tests known as Natural Testing and Accelerated Testing to evaluate the durability and performance of their products against environmental factors.

What is Natural Testing?

In Natural Testing, researchers place paint samples outside in extreme climates such as deserts, tropical regions, and coastal zones to expose them to real weather conditions. They then collect data on sunlight, humidity, and pollutants to analyze how these elements affect the paint samples.

For eg, UAE researchers place the coating sample outside for 3 years to test cool roof panels and reflected coatings. Initially panel had a high ability to react to the UV rays between 95-110, but after 3 years, its effectiveness dropped to 60-90 due to dust accumulation, UV exposure, and high ambient heat.

What is Accelerated testing?

In Accelerate Testing, they simulate the weather for months with the help of a control cycle of UV/Xenon light, moisture, and heat through various methods. Such as Xenon-arc to mimic sunlight spectra, fluorescent UV lamps with water spray cycles, and thermal cycling. The main challenge they face here is that it’s hard to replicate natural degradation chemistry and failure modes, which leads to false positives/negatives.

Making paint and coating according to extreme climate conditions is important because it helps in understanding how weathering evolves to prevent early fading, cracking, or erosion.

 Solutions Industry Is Developing:

• High Performance Acrylics and Polyurethanes – Use in building exteriors, steel structures, bridges, and wind turbines. To help in long-lasting UV – UV-resistance and be flexible enough to withstand temperature changes without making it peel or crack.
• Cool Roof and Reflective Coatings – Used in hot climates like the Middle East, India, or Southern USA., which helps to reflect sunlight and reduce heat absorption and helps in regulating the temperature.
• Marine and Salt Resistant coatings – Can be used in ships, oil rigs, coastal buildings for anti-corrosion epoxy and zinc-rich primers.
• Elastomeric Coatings – Done in areas that undergo a freeze-thaw cycle ( cold at night and hot during the day)
• Self-Cleaning And Anti-fungal Coatings – Areas which are tropical or high in humidity and pollutants and have nano-additives or special resins to resist mold, mildew, and grime.

Moreover, the Industry has evolved and worked on coatings and has many innovations. Like blistering and UV, salty sea air, Torrential air and mold, freezing and thawing, and Industrial pollution.

As time evolves so does the industry with its innovations and technologies. For more such news and innovation and to keep updated, check Industrial Front!