Paints for plastics: types, specifics of work and the process of painting

Plastic products are lightweight, relatively durable, not exposed to moisture and tolerate heat well. However, after prolonged use, they lose their original appearance, change color, become covered with scratches and microcracks. It is possible to restore and decorate a plastic surface by painting, but not every paint and varnish material is suitable for this. In this article, HouseChief experts will tell you what paints for plastic are: types and uses at home.

The specifics of painting plastic surfaces

Plastic is characterized by poor adhesion to paints and varnishes, as a result of which most paints simply peel off the surface quickly. Therefore, before painting, you must first decide on the type of plastic being processed, and also adhere to the decoration technology.

PHOTO: mosopttorg.com

Without preliminary preparation of the plastic surface, it will not be possible to achieve a high-quality and durable coating. Often, individual elements of automobile, motorcycle and other vehicles, household appliances and various plastic structures need coloring. However, not every type of plastic can be colored, and it will not be possible to visually determine this, so you must first find a special marking on the product.

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Painting of plastic elements has its own characteristics:

• thorough cleaning and drying of the surface is required before painting;
• preliminary preparation is required in all cases, except for painting polystyrene or ABS with water-based acrylic paint;
• the temperature of the paint, equipment and the product to be painted must be balanced;
• the air in the room where the plastic will be painted and dried must be at least +18 ° C, and the humidity should be no more than 80%;
• it is recommended to apply only one layer of paintwork materials with a thickness of about 60 microns;
• dry the painted plastic at temperatures ranging from +18 to +60 ° C, depending on the thickness of the applied layer.

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Types of paints for plastics

In order to qualitatively paint plastic products, acrylic compounds are most often used, since they are universal and have high adhesion. However, other paintwork materials can be used to paint objects made of durable polymers.

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Water based formulations

When painting plastic products, water-based paints and varnishes, in particular polyurethane-acrylic paints, have shown themselves well. They consist of two main components: a pigment and a hardener, which increases the strength of the coating. The advantages of acrylic paints are as follows:

• have good adhesion to the plastic surface;
• do not lose their original color;
• do not fade under the influence of UV rays;
• resistant to external influences;
• do not require prior priming.

Acrylic compounds are produced in a wide range of colors. Some of them can be operated at constant high humidity.

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Soft Touch options

Matte Soft Touch paints and varnishes have a lot of positive qualities:

• create a pleasant tactile effect;
• absorb light and sound;
• wear-resistant;
• dry quickly;
• do not spread;
• visually smooth the corners.

The presence of such characteristics allows the use of Soft Touch paints for the restoration of the decorative layer. automotive parts, children's toys and other plastic products that are constantly exposed to mechanical impact. This type of paintwork is mainly produced only in black, but you can buy something brighter.

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Aerosol varieties

Spray paints are fine if you need to paint a small area of ​​plastic. They are easy to use and eliminate the chance of streaking. Aerosol paints have certain advantages over other formulations:

• do not require any tools;
• make it possible to create various effects on a plastic surface;
• do not lose their original color for a long time;
• stored for a long time;
• economical in spending;
• can be applied to old aerosol coatings.

Spray paints, as a rule, are produced in the form of matte Soft Touch-compositions or monad enamels, which give the surface a gloss.

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Other options

For processing plastic, you can also use vinyl paint, which is environmentally friendly and relatively low in price. But its widespread use is hampered by poor resistance to various influences. Even brief contact with moisture can cause the paint to peel off again.

Model enamel, as the name implies, is a special paintwork material used in modeling. The base of the paint is oil, and turpentine or white spirit is used as a solvent. This type of enamel should dry naturally without the use of special equipment. Among the disadvantages of this paintwork are a pungent odor, fire hazard, prolonged drying and moderate toxicity.

Monad paints are ideal for PVC as they are UV resistant and have good adhesion.

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How to choose paint

When choosing paint for the restoration of plastic products, you should pay attention to the following characteristics:

1. Adhesion. As a rule, paints and varnishes have good adhesion to the surface and differ only in its degree. Therefore, when choosing a paint, it is necessary to take into account the composition of the plastic and its smoothness.
2. Compatibility. The paintwork material should be suitable in composition to the type of surface to be painted or the primer used. Failure to do so will result in the paint swelling, cracking, or peeling off quickly.
3. Hiding power and spreadability. It depends on these indicators how even and thick the paint will be on the surface.
4. Water resistance. Acrylic paints used to paint plastic products are water resistant and, once dry, form a washable protective coating. However, for finishing structures operating at high humidity, paintwork materials are used with the addition of special additives.
5. Compliance basis. On a container with paint, the manufacturer always indicates what type of plastic can be processed with it.

Important! Despite the fact that acetone-based paints and varnishes are inexpensive, their use can damage the plastic. It is also worth remembering that polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polycarbonate cannot be painted with any compounds, so you shouldn't even try to select paint for them.

PHOTO: a.d-cd.net

How to paint plastic at home

Anyone can paint plastic products, which will significantly save money, since contacting a specialized company will not be cheap. However, in order to do everything yourself and at the same time efficiently, you need to prepare the appropriate tools, protective equipment and paintwork materials, carry out preparatory work, take care of ventilation or good ventilation of the room, and then follow a certain algorithm.

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Tools and materials

For self-coloring of plastic products you will need:

• alcohol, white spirit or any other solvent;
• composition for priming;
• putty;
• fine-grained sandpaper;
• spray gun, paint brush or roller;
• liquid or spray paint;
• napkin or rags;
• masking tape;
• sealant.

For your information! To get a perfectly even and smooth coating, you should give preference to aerosols, and for painting large-area objects, you should choose a paint roller or spray gun. If a brush is used, its bristle should be very soft so as not to leave streaks when painting.

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Dyeing process

To obtain a uniform and durable layer that will last a long time and have an attractive appearance, the plastic product must be cleaned, degreased and dried. Before painting, apply a layer of primer to the surface and wait until it dries completely. In order for the paint to have the best adhesion, it is necessary to work at a temperature of at least +18 ° C and a humidity of no more than 80%. The dye is applied in one layer 60–120 µm thick. A thinner coating will be unstable, while a thicker one will increase the drying time, which will affect the aesthetics.

PHOTO: kraski-net.ru

Brush

Liquid paints for PVC are used for large-scale works. However, it should be borne in mind that painting with a brush requires experience, otherwise traces and stains may remain on the surface, and the coating itself will be uneven and not very aesthetic.

When working with a brush, wide, straight strokes are made. At the beginning of the movement, you should be soft, then you should increase the pressure so that the coating is thin, and in the end - a soft stroke to align. The disadvantage of painting with a brush is long drying, besides, the room should be free of dust, lint and hair, and at home it is almost impossible to do this. Therefore, this method of painting should be chosen if you do not want to achieve the perfect surface and detail.

PHOTO: mazhem.ru

Spray can

When painting relatively small parts, it is more appropriate to use aerosol cans paint, and before applying to the main surface, a small test should be carried out on a separate unnecessary details. This type of paintwork material allows you to obtain a strong uniform coating, not to mix tones, and to indicate clear color boundaries, it is enough to use masking tape.

The paint can is shaken and sprayed at a distance of 20–30 cm from the element to be painted. Spraying is carried out smoothly, in one layer. For complete coloring of the part, you need to make 2-3 layers, waiting for each of them to dry completely. After finishing the painting work, the masking tape is removed. If desired, varnish can be applied over the finishing layer, which will increase the wear resistance of the coating.

Important! The spray paint can be held vertically, at a distance of 20-30 cm.

For an illustrative example, we suggest watching a video of painting a bicycle part with spray paint.

Drying after staining

After staining the plastic, it is necessary to observe the drying technology so that the paintwork does not lose its strength and aesthetics. The paint should dry naturally at temperatures between +18 and +60 ° C. The accuracy of the temperature regime is determined by the thickness of the paint layer. Drying takes 5–7 days, but the higher the humidity and the lower the temperature in the room, the longer the drying process takes.

PHOTO: kraski-net.ru

A few words in conclusion

Paint is a great opportunity for self-restoration of old plastic products. Modern manufacturers offer a large selection of paintwork materials for plastics of any color, so you can buy exactly the dye that is best suited for your tasks. We hope that the information presented in the article will help you in choosing paint and plastic restoration.