Pigments, Resins and Carriers Part 1
August 17, 2007 | Filed under: Miscellanous Articles,Uncategorized
A critical part of any metal roofing system is its finish. While some exotic metals such as copper zinc, stainless steel, and titanium are often sold with a natural or “mill” finish, most metals are sold with a paint finish which provides protection, reduces your energy costs and preserves the aesthetic beauty of the roof for a lifetime.
In the following posts, we’ll share what you need to know about paint finishes so you will know what to look for and what questions to ask before you purchase your next roofing system.
Pigments provide paint with its color. There are various types of pigments—principally “organic” (contains the element of carbon) and “inorganic” (sometimes called “mineral” or “ceramic”). Organic pigments generally are less opaque, more difficult to control for color fastness and may also be water soluble. For that reason, quality paint finishes use inorganic pigments. Inorganic pigments can be simple (and inexpensive) such as Red (iron) Oxide or they can be complicated mixtures of metal oxides. The latter type, such as Cobalt Blue, may exist naturally or, more commonly, may be industrially prepared. These complex oxide types have high heat resistance in addition to extreme resistance to weathering and are referred to as Ceramic pigments.
