Performance of Local Clay-Titanium Dioxide Core-Shell Extender Pigments in Alkyd Paints

The performance of local clay-titanium dioxide core-shell extender pigments in alkyd paints has been studied. The physico-mechanical properties of the prepared alkyd paints were evaluated according to ASTM measurements. The effects of various environmental and corrosive factors on the paints were also studied. The study showed that the alkyd paint samples formulated using the core-shell pigments generally had low specific gravity (1.30 – 1.38), an indication that more of the core-shell pigments can be incorporated into the alkyd paints with considerable cost savings. The dry film thicknesses of the paint samples falls within 0.24 - 0.39 mm, suggesting that the samples will perform well as anticorrosive coatings and their adhesion properties are generally good, showing that they can withstand abrasive and corrosive agents. The core-shell extender pigments formulated paint samples were observed to exhibit the best dust-free, tack-free, and through dry times compared to TiO2 paint formulation. The formulated paint samples generally performed well on exposure to rain and sunlight as well as in distilled water, 2% Na2CO3, and 2% H2SO4 with only TiO2 paint formulation exhibiting rust. The good paint performance characteristics obtainable with the core-shell extender pigments are enough evidence to justify their utilization in the surface coatings industry. The performances of these core-shell extender pigments in alkyd paints have shown that they combine the properties of both the clays and titanium dioxide, and have the potential to overcome their disadvantages.