A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Particles

Pigments, binders, and solvents combine together to create paint for artists to leave their mark on the canvas. Without paint, masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and Starry Night would have never been created! Read on to learn about what paint consists of and how it is refined using a three roll mill. Additional information about three roll mills can be found at www.threerollmill.com.          

The Three Elements

 All three elements of paint (pigment, binder, solvents) rely on each other to create quality paint. The purpose of pigments is to color the mixture. Pigments are made out of several types of minerals that have color properties. Pigments have an important task they must be able to withstand light, weather, and heat. The binders job is to glue the pigment particles together, these can be made out of natural oils, synthetic plastics, and rubber. Solvents make the mixture of binder and solvents thinner and less viscous so that it can be spread easier on the canvas. Water is usually the most common solvent on the market.

Dispersion of Particles and Size         

It is very important to disperse pigments with oil to create an even homogeneous mixture. A great way to ensure full pigment dispersion is to use a three roll mill. The paint mixture is loaded between the feed roll and center roll, where it is transferred between the narrow gaps between the rollers. After passing through the rollers it is scraped off by the blade on the apron collection tray.

Particle size is of utmost importance. It determines the amount of light that is reflected, which ultimately controls the color intensity of the paint. Ideally the pigment size should be less than 70 micron. While the optimal particle size is 36 nm. Without using a three roll mill, the paint texture will be gritty and pigment dispersion will not be even. The paints visual appearance will be severely hampered if a three roll mill is not utilized in the paint manufacturing process.  More information about three roll mills can be found at : www.threerollmill.com.

Thank You for reading!

Credit: Peter Jordan.