What Is the Use of Calcined Kaolin in Paint?
What makes it so easy to paint walls in beautiful colours and cover them with such a thick layer of paint? Not just the colour. One of the main ingredients in paint is called calcined Kaolin. This powder is a little secret that helps your paint to last longer and look more beautiful.
In this post, we will discuss the application of calcined Kaolin to paint. This post will explain what calcined kaolin is and why it is a vital ingredient in paint. We’ll also learn how this powder helps to make paint so durable. We’ll dive into the powder and discover its magic.
What is Calcined Kaolin ?
We need to understand what calcined Kaolin is before we can use it in paint. We’ll break this down to simple terms.
It is found as a soft white clay in the ground. China clay is another name for it, as the first time that fine porcelain was made in China thousands years ago. Kaolin is found in many everyday items, such as paper, rubber and some medications.
It is heated in a specific way to turn regular Kaolin into Calcined Kaolin. It has been heated at a high temperature. The clay is dried out and its structure changes, resulting in a harder, brighter, and whiter product. The new clay is ideal for paint.
Why is Calcined Kaolin Used in Paint?
Paint manufacturers use calcined Kaolin for several reasons. Paint manufacturers add this powder to their formulations for a number of reasons. This powder acts as a bulking agent, meaning it adds color to the paint while maintaining its original hue. It does so much more.
The performance of paint is improved in many different ways by calcined kaolin. The kaolin improves the performance of the paint in many ways. It hides the underside, increases its durability against stains and scratches, and helps to control the shine or mattness. This multi-talented additive improves paint quality significantly.
Enhancing the Hiding Power and Opacity
Before you start painting, it is important to paint over any existing marks or stains. It could be a soiled surface, a dated color or marks. Paint’s “hiding ability” is also known as “opacity.” Calcined Kaolin excels at this.
These tiny kaolin particles scatter the light. These particles scatter light when it hits the surface of a painted surface. The light scattering makes it impossible to see through paint and onto the painted surface. Paint manufacturers are able to use less expensive titanium dioxide white pigment by adding calcined Kaolin. They still achieve a great level of coverage. The paint is now more affordable, without sacrificing quality.
Improve durability and scrub resistance
The paint must be durable. It should be able to handle everyday use, including accidental bumps as well as cleaning up scuffs and spills. The calcined kaolin is a key ingredient in the paint’s durability.
By heating kaolin, the particles become very hard. These hard particles, when mixed with paint, create a protective layer on walls. The paint is now resistant to chipping and scratching. This also increases “scrub-resistance,” meaning you can clean the walls without damaging the paint. It is important to use paints in areas that are subjected to heavy traffic, such as hallways, kids’ bedrooms, or kitchens.
Controlling Shine and Gloss
There are many different paint finishes. They range from extremely shiny (high gloss) to totally flat (matte). Paints are referred to by their “sheen”, or gloss. Paint makers can control the shine of paints by using kaolin that has been calcined.
On a microscopical level, the shape and size the particles of calcined Kaolin can cause the surface to be rougher. The rougher the surface, the more light is scattered. This reduces shine and gives a matte look. The manufacturers are able to create any sheen level they desire, be it eggshell, matte, or satin. They can do this by carefully selecting the amount and type of calcined Kaolin. You can choose how your room will look and feel.
Enhancing Stain resistance and barrier properties
No one wants to see their newly painted walls stained. Calcined Kaolin protects your wall from staining. In the dried paint, calcined Kaolin particles are tightly packed together. The tight structure of the dried paint film creates a barrier which makes it hard for liquids such as juice, ink, coffee or other substances to penetrate.
The walls are easier to wash with this barrier effect. The stain does not sink in but sits at the surface. This allows you to remove it more easily. It is for this reason that calcined Kaolin is used in high-quality paints.
The Benefits of Using Calcined Kaolin in Paint
Addition of calcined Kaolin in paint has many benefits, which improves its quality and overall performance.
- Improved Coverage: The paint can cover the underside surface with less coats.
- Improved Strength: This makes the paint more durable and resistant to scratches.
- Easy Cleaning: Because of its scrub-resistant properties, you can easily clean your walls without damaging them.
- Protection from Stains: This product creates an invisible barrier to help prevent staining.
- Control Sheen: This feature allows the manufacturer to produce a range of finishes from matte to glossy.
- Economical: This allows the use of less expensive pigments to make high-quality paint more accessible.
Conclusion
What is calcined Kaolin used for in paint? This hardworking clay makes paint last longer, looks better and is stronger. The specially-treated clay hides old colors and resists stains and scratches. It also gives your walls a beautiful, high-quality finish.
Next time you paint a room you will appreciate all the hard work that went into making that can. You may not be able to see all the calcined particles, but you can see their results on the walls. They are smooth and durable. This unsung paint hero is making homes colorful and durable one brushstroke after another.
