Desenvolvimento de tinta acrílica base água para piso com ênfase em opacidade e resistência à lavabilidade

Abstract

Paints are composed of four basic components: resins, solvents, pigments, and additives. Pigments are responsible for providing color and opacity, while additives assist in pigment dispersion, prevent foam formation, and may also contribute to the formation of the dry paint film. Resins form the film that adheres to the surface, and solvents are used to adjust the viscosity, facilitating product application. To develop a paint formulation with competitive performance in the market, it is essential to understand the role of each component and to establish appropriate proportions to maximize the final quality of the product. This study aimed to develop a water-based floor paint formulation with strong performance in terms of opacity and scrub resistance, parameters that are essential for coatings applied to surfaces subject to frequent wear. To achieve this, four experimental formulations (TP V1 to TP V4) were developed and compared to two commercial samples obtained from the market (TP M1 and TP M2), which served as performance benchmarks and minimum requirement references for the proposed formulation. The adopted methodology involved varying the concentrations of acrylic resin, extenders, and additives such as coalescents, thickeners, and dispersing agents, while maintaining control over production costs. Physicochemical tests (viscosity, pH, and solids content) and performance evaluations (contrast ratio and scrub resistance) demonstrated that the partial replacement of dolomite with higher refractive index extenders, such as calcium carbonate and aluminum silicate, led to significant improvements in the paint’s opacity. Additionally, the analysis of the pigment volume concentration and Critical Pigment Volume Concentration values revealed a direct influence of the resin-to-extender balance on the mechanical strength of the dry film. Among the formulations developed, TP V4 exhibited the best performance in terms of scrub resistance, fully meeting the requirements for use on high-traffic floors. Although its opacity was not the highest, the results indicate that a balance between technical performance, formulation stability, and economic feasibility was achieved. Therefore, the proposed formulation presents itself as a viable and promising alternative for the water-based floor coatings market.