Overcoming Paint Film Defects: Causes and

Remedies
Posted on June 16, 2017 by Ron Lewarchik

Paint film defects can appear during or immediately after application or become more apparent after
the coating is cured. While there is no standard convention for the nomenclature of film defects, this
article will separate film defects into the two categories mentioned above.

Example of crazing.
Copyright: paylessimages / 123RF Stock Photo

Paint film defect causes

The largest number of paint defects is from dirt particles1embedded in the paint. Most other paint
defects are the results of:
  lack of cleanliness
 surface preparation
 application error
 attention to detail

Surface tension

Many coating defects are related to surface tension issues. Surface tension is the elastic tendency
of liquids that make them acquire the least surface area possible. This occurs when the forces at the
interface of a liquid differ from those within the liquid, attributed to uneven force distribution of
molecules at the surface. A common unit of surface tension is dynes/cm2 (force/unit area).

For example, applying a coating with a higher surface tension than the substrate may
cause dewetting, crawling, pinholing, holidays and telegraphing.

Likewise, the difference in surface tension at the paint surface can result in cratering or fisheyes.

Table 1: Surface tension of paint Solvents

Solvent Surface Tension Dynes/cm

Water 72.8
Toluene 28.4
Isopropanol 23.0
n-Butanol 24.8
Acetone 25.2
Methyl propyl ketone 26.6
Methyl amyl ketone 26.1
PM acetate 28.5

Table 2: Liquid surface tension of Polymers used to reduce surface defects

Polymer mj/m2
Poly(dimethylsiloxane) 22.6
Poly nButyl Acrylate 33.7
Poly nButyl Methacrylate 31.2

Highly polar molecules (e.g. water) have a higher surface tension than less polar materials (see
Tables 1 and 2). Surface defects can often be reduced or eliminated by using small amounts of
additives with low surface tension such as polydimethyl siloxanes (DMS), poly butyl acrylate or poly
2-ethyl hexyl acrylate. These additives tend to migrate to the surface to help flow and leveling.

Table 3: Defects that can occur during or soon after application

 Defect Appearance
Uneven film thickness,
Crawling
dewetting
Small round depressions in
Craters/fish eyes
the surface of the coating
Small cracks formed in the
coating. This can occur on
Crazing, cracking
recoat or if coating is applied
to solvent sensitive plastics coating layer or plastic
Small raised imperfections in
Dirt, contamination
the surface of the coating
Areas of low gloss or a white
Loss of gloss, blush
haze
Uneven appearance of
Mottling
metallic paints
Causes Remedy
High surface tension paints
applied to a substrate with  Proper surface cleaning
metallic or plastic surface
lower surface tension. For
example, paint on steel with
oil on the surface
 Proper spray booth air
filtration and the
Small particles of a low contaminant elimination.
surface tension contaminant  The addition of surface
wetting agents such as
(e.g. oil, grease, silicone oil,
DMS and/or polyacrylate
wax) on the substrate or that
embeds in the coating with a low glass transitio
(Tg).
Application of coatings on  Use solvent that will not
plastics where the paint crack or craze the plastic
contains strong solvent that  Test spot resistance of
solvates the underlying substrate with suitable
solvent.
substrate
 Surface not carefully
cleaned.
 Dirty spray booth
and/or booth filters.
 Ensure cleanliness of the
 Pressure in the spray
environment where the
booth too low.
coatings are applied
 Unsuitable work
clothes.
 Inadequate paint
filtration
Humidity condenses on the
wet paint due to the cooling
effect of solvent evaporation
when the substrate
temperature is below the dew
point. Causes:  Proper humidity control
 Unsuitable reducers
 Poor air circulation in
drying oven
 Film thickness too
high or low
 Use proper viscosity cup
 Dirty spray gun nozzle
to obtain spray viscosity.
 Incorrect air pressure
 Clean and maintain spra
 Incorrect reducer
guns on a regular basis.
 Faulty spray
 During application
technique
maintain spray gun

Poor hiding · Uneven paint coverage
Runs and sags Drips and sags
Skips/holidays Incomplete paint coverage
Stripes of uneven paint
Striping, banding appearance (e.g. differing
color)
Highlighting of the surface of
the coated substrate through
Telegraphing the coating. Such defects as
fingerprints, sand scratches
and water spots on the
 Incorrect spray parallel to the substrate
viscosity and maintain correct
distance from gun to
substrate.
 Follow Technical Data
Sheets instructions.
 Nonuniform substrate
surface
 Uniform and sufficient
 Uneven or inadequate
paint application to obtai
paint coverage to
proper hiding.
mask the substrate
color
 Paint applied too thick
or too wet to a vertical  Adjust low shear viscosit
surface and the force of paint with appropriate
of gravity overcomes thickener.
the forces resisting  Use proper reducer and
the downward flow of viscosity adjustment for
paint (viscosity). environmental conditions
 Temperature too low  Adjust spray gun and
to enable proper apply thinner wet coats.
solvent evaporation a waterborne paint, apply
(solvent born paint), paint in a lower humidity
or humidity too high environment.
(waterborne paint).
 Paint applied too thin
 Minute areas on the
substrate surface of  Proper paint application
low surface tension, and ensure surface
causing inadequate cleanliness.
film flow and
coverage.
 Use proper viscosity cup
to obtain spray viscosity.
 Clean and maintain spra
guns on a regular basis.
 During application,
Uneven paint application
maintain spray gun
parallel at the correct
distance to the substrate
and maintain
Coating with high surface
tension applied to a substrate  Ensure that the substrate
with lower surface tension. is thoroughly clean and
e.g. Fingerprints or silicone oil absent of low surface
on a substrate surface.
 substrate become visible on tension oils and
the coating surface fingerprints.

 Allow sufficient cure time

Upon applying an overcoat, of underlying paint
the existing paint film  Ensure that the new pain
Wrinkling, lifting, shrivels, wrinkles or swells; Solvents in the new paint is compatible with the
aligatoring may also occur during drying. swell the underlying paint undercoat
finish.
 Proper application of the
new paint (not too wet).

Table 4: Defects that are more apparent after cure

Defect Appearance Causes Remedy

Paint pump sucking air  Proper attention to paint line conditions.
when paint level is low.  Ensure use of urethane grade solvents and
In two component proper spray gun air filtration through
Similar to solvent
Air entrapment urethanes, moisture desicant.
popping or bubbles
present reacts with  Addition of moisture scavenger in paint.
isocyanate to cause
CO2 generation.
Convection pattern from
Hexagonal pattern in
pigment segregation as Adjust formulation to overcome flooding and
Barnard Cells the surface of a
a result of surface differential surface tension at surface
cured paint film.
tension differentials
 Proper oven staging to enable slow release
of solvent.
 In an acid catalyzed system, use an acid s
to slow the cure and enable solvent releas
Bubbles near the Viscosity of the surface  Increase flash time before bake.
surface of a film of the film increases to a  Use slower evaporating solvent.
Blisters during oven cure that high level, trapping the  For spray application, apply additional
do not break through volatile solvent at a thinner coats to build film rather than fewer
the surface. lower level. thick coats.
 For waterborne coatings, use a dehydratio
bake lower than the boiling point of water,
followed by a second bake to cure.

 Adjust paint to proper viscosity with correc

Rough surface that Paint applied at high reducer per technical data sheets.
resembles the viscosity or under
Orange peel  Apply at proper fluid delivery rate and
surface profile of an conditions deleterious to
atomizing air pressure.
orange proper flow and leveling.

Broken bubbles at Viscosity of the surface  Proper oven staging to enable slow release
the surface of a film of the film increases to a of solvent.
Solvent pop
that do not flow out high level, trapping the  In an acid catalyzed system, use an acid s
during oven cure volatile solvent at a to slow the cure and enable solvent releas
 lower level. The bubbles
break the surface when
the solvent volatilizes.
 Increase flash time before bake.
 Use slower evaporating solvent.
 For spray application, apply additional
thinner coats to build film rather than fewer
thick coats.
 For waterborne coatings, use a dehydratio
bake lower than the boiling point of water
followed by a second higher bake to cure.
 Lastly, the use of lower Tg resins along wit
lower dry film thickness decrease popping.

Search Prospector for formulating remedies to overcome paint film defects:

Defect Remedy material

 polyether modified polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)

Crawling and substrate wetting  nonionic surfactant for waterborne paints

 PDMS
Craters and fish eyes  polyalkyl acrylates

 Viscosity modifier to increase low shear paint viscosity

Runs and sags

 polyether modified polymethylalkylsiloxane to increase low shear visc

Telegraphing waterborne)

 surface tension depressant

 low molecular weight acrylic
Air entrapment
 defoamer (waterborne)

For melamine cure systems:

 blocked acid catalyst

Solvent pop, blisters
 polyalkyl acrylate
 slow evaporating solvent

Further reading:
  Coating Film Defects
 Coating Film Defects – Part 2

Resources
1. Preventing Paint Defects and Failures, Clifford K. Schoff, July 2013, CoatingsTech
2. UL Prospector, Hydrophobic Coatings Explained, Ronald Lewarchik, May 29, 2015
3. Organic Coatings, Science and Technology, Third Addition, wicks et.al., Wiley Interscience,
2007
4. UL Prospector raw material search engine

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