Water-based paints may be damaged because of low temperatures due to their composition. It is necessary to have a control system allowing to ensure the perfect conditions for use. If the water-based paint has frozen, this may be irreversibly damaged.
This type of paint contains components that, if frozen, may expand and be separated from the mixture. Although temperature is higher and the water-based paint defrosts, this causes the mixture not to mix appropriately and have lumps. In addition, if it is damaged, the enamel may peel, cracks may be produced, and the colour degraded.
Exposure of the water-based paint to low temperatures
Drums of water-based paint are stored in warehouses or industrial plants, which do not usually haver air conditioning systems. Mainly, because of their dimensions and therefore, the cost to heat them. Likewise, sometimes paint containers are transported in trucks to construction sites and then, stored there.
When storage or transport is made in areas under low temperatures, this means a preservation risk for the water-based paint. There are working areas where it is not cold but depending on the season of the year, temperatures may reach freezing temperatures at night. In these cases, we will not be aware of this problem until we use this product. This type of paint is used, for example, to paint plastic accessories for cars. In this type of uses, faulty paints cannot be used because they will deteriorate in a short time. This is an application which requires high standards for long-term duration.
Detection of paint freezing with temperature indicators
Indicators for temperature decrease Tempasure react to low temperatures through an irreversible change of colour.
These devices are adhesive and therefore, can be stuck on paint drums during transport or storage. To activate them, the user only needs to pull a tab. From that moment on, if the temperature decreases below the indicated value, they will change colour permanently.
In this way, we can check if the paint has been exposed to critical temperatures at some time and consequently, has become damaged.
Sometimes, paint drums have certain protection against temperature decreases when stored in warehouses or sheds. If Tempasure device is stuck on the drums, we can easily check which drums have been affected and which have not. Usually the temperature in a warehouse is not the same because of gaps where cold air comes in or the proximity of motors or machinery emitting heat and thus, increasing the temperature.
These temperature indicators are easy to use, do not contain batteries or electronic components. This is an easy way to ensure that the paint we are going to use is under perfect conditions and has not been exposed to freezing processes during storage or transport.