GENERIC COATING TYPES
Introduction to
Generic Coating Types
by Lloyd M. Smith, Ph.D., General Editor
Corrosion Control Consultants and Labs
Editor’s Note: With the article that
follows, JPCL introduces a 16-part
monthly series, Generic Coating
Types, which is intended to provide
basic information about the stan-
dard, generic classification of protec-
tive coatings. Edited by Lloyd M.
Smith of Corrosion Control Consul-
tants and Labs (Reston, VA) and
written by industry personnel with
expertise in the generic types ad-
dressed, the series will also be com-
piled as a single volume in the fall
of 1995.
housands of coatings prod-
T ucts are sold for industrial
use, making it impossible to
memorize the names, attributes,
properties, and limitations of all of
them. Therefore, a method is need-
ed to classify coatings based on
some similarity so that the selection
process is manageable. The most
common method of classification for
coatings is generic type, which
refers to the chemical attribute—
most often the resin type—that is
unique to a group of coatings.
Generic type is the most useful
classification principle because coat-
ings of the same generic type have
similar handling and performance
properties. The name for most
generic types of coatings is based on
the resin (binder) in the formulation.
A secondary generic classification of
coatings is by curing mechanism or
some other compositional element.
Vinyl and epoxy, for example, are
generic coating types with names
based on the resin. Urethanes as a
Copyright ©1995, Technology Publishing Company
The series will describe up-to-date
formulations of each generic type in
terms of their chemical and perfor-
mance properties. It is intended to
offer guidance about the specifica-
Coming Up in
This Series:
• Acrylic Coatings (Water-Borne)
• Alkyd Coatings
• Cementitious Coatings
• Chlorinated Rubber and
Vinyl Coatings
• Coal Tar and Asphaltic Coatings
• Epoxy I—Coatings for Steel
•
•
•
Epoxy II—Coatings, Floorings,
and Linings for Concrete
Hybrid Generic Coatings
Phenolic Coatings
• Polyester and Vinyl Ester
Coatings
• Silicone (High Temperature)
Coatings
• Urethane I—Chemical Cure
Coatings
• Urethane II—Moisture Cure
Coatings
• Zinc-Rich, Inorganic Coatings
• Zinc-Rich, Organic Coatings
generic resin type are subdivided
very distinctly by curing mechanism,
so there are moisture-cure urethanes
and chemical-cure urethanes. Latex
coatings are a generic type in which
the classification is made solely by
curing mechanism. In latex emul-
sions, the resin is suspended as mi-
croscopic particles in water. The
tion and purchase of industrial
maintenance coatings.
The series will be most useful to
specifiers in architectural and engi-
neering firms and to coating consul-
tants. It will be useful as well to facil-
ity owners who specify coatings and
to contractors who select coatings. As
an educational tool, the series will be
a good resource for coating manu-
facturer personnel and others inter-
ested in understanding the charac-
teristics and differences among
generic types of coatings.
coating cures by coalescence, which
means that after the coating is ap-
plied and the water starts to evapo-
rate, the resin particles come togeth-
er and eventually fuse. Many
different resins can be used in latex
coatings. Other generic coating
types are classified using systems
designed to indicate even broader
classifications. Inorganic zinc-rich
and organic zinc-rich coatings are
examples. Zinc-rich indicates that
high loadings of zinc dust are part of
the formulation, while the resin
component is only broadly classified
by its general chemistry—inorganic
or organic. (Organic resins are based
primarily on carbon in the polymer
backbone; inorganic resins do not
contain carbon.)
This series describes the major
generic types of coatings used to
protect industrial structures. The list
is in no way complete but was se-
lected to represent the most com-
monly used generic types.
continued
JULY 1995 / 73
 GENERIC COATING TYPES

Generic Coating Types

Classified by Resin
Oil-Based and Alkyd
Materials in this class are based ei-
ther on natural fish and plant oils or
on a synthetic resin (alkyd). While
the various resins have a particular
chemical composition (i.e., they all
are organic), the defining common
feature is that these coatings cure by
air oxidation. They can be formulat-
ed for use as primers, intermediate
coats, and topcoats.
Oil-based coatings are among the
original materials developed for pro-
tection or decoration. Because of a
100-year history of protecting
steel, they are the standard against
which other coatings are compared.
Coating systems based on oils and
alkyds have moderate moisture
vapor transmission rates, which indi-
cate how fast moisture vapor travels
through a coating. As a result,
they have only limited barrier
protection properties, so anti-corro-
sive pigments are needed in the
primer when these coatings are used
to protect steel. Topcoats should
have good sunlight resistance
and color retention. Oil-based and
alkyd coating systems offer good ex-
terior durability in nonaggressive at-
mospheres. In addition, they are rel-
atively inexpensive.

Chlorinated Rubber and Vinyl

Chlorinated rubber and vinyl, which
also are organic resins, are grouped
together because they cure by sol-
vent evaporation. Film formation is
essentially by precipitation, which is
solidification of the binder with no
changes to the resin occurring due
to any type of chemical reaction.
True vinyls and chlorinated rubber
coatings, as opposed to modified
versions, must be applied by spray
because of their curing mechanism.
They dry quickly and are easy to
topcoat or repair.
Chlorinated rubber and vinyl coat-
ings have very low moisture vapor
74 / Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings Copyright ©1995, Technology Publishing Company
 GENERIC COATING TYPES

transmission rates. They form very
good barrier coats with good chemi-
cal resistance. They also perform
well when they are immersed in
water. They have poor solvent and
heat resistance, however. Because
they are solvent-borne, they usually
are high in volatile organic com-
pounds (VOC). Many state and local
regulations limit the VOC content al-
lowed in paint. As a result, it is diffi-
cult formulating coatings that are
based on vinyl or chlorinated rubber
resins and that comply with VOC
content limits.
Good gloss retention is possible
with these coatings, so they can be
used as topcoats. Chlorinated rubber
formulations are the material of
choice for coating swimming pools.
Unmodified chlorinated rubber and
vinyl resin do not adhere well to
steel; the resin must be modified to
use these materials as primers.
Bituminous
The organic resin in a bituminous
coating is derived totally or in part
from distillation of crude oil or coal.
Bituminous coatings, such as coal tar
and asphaltic materials, are relatively
inexpensive and are known for their
water resistance. They come in 1
color—black. Bituminous coatings
have been used for waterproofing,
protecting buried structures and lin-
ing tanks and other industrial water-
holding structures. They have poor
resistance to sunlight, which can
cause them to crack.
Epoxy coatings are similar to
epoxy adhesives. They offer excel-
lent adhesion to most substrates and
yield tough, durable films. Epoxies
are known for good resistance to
solvents, water, and chemicals, as
well as resistance to abrasion. How-
ever, they are known to break down
on reaction with sunlight in a
process called chalking. This ten-
dency limits their use outdoors to
primers and intermediate coats.
The tough, slick film of an epoxy
coating can be either an advantage
or a disadvantage. It is an advantage
if cleaning or decontaminating the
surface is important but a disadvan-
tage if another coat of material must
be applied, because there may be a
maximum recoat time, a period of
time after which the coating be-
comes too hard to overcoat.
The most commonly used epoxies
are polyamide-cured and amine-
cured. Polyamide-cured epoxies
have better water resistance; amine-
cured epoxies have better chemical
resistance. Other, related curing
agents are used in formulations such
as epoxy mastics. The latest devel-
opment in epoxy coatings has been
thin film formulations used as seal-
ers for overcoating existing oil-based
and alkyd coating systems.
Some epoxy resins and hardeners
can be used to formulate coatings.
Epoxy resins also can be used to
modify other resin types. In this se-
ries, the many modifications of
epoxies have been subdivided into
epoxies for steel and epoxies for
concrete, flooring, and linings. The
common factor for all epoxies is that
they must cure by chemical reaction
through the epoxide group.
Silicone
Silicone resins contain silicon in the
polymer backbone rather than car-
continued

Epoxy
The organic resin of epoxy coatings
contains a specific chemical group
known as an epoxide. Epoxy coat-
ings cure by chemical reaction when
a hardener is added to the resin,
usually a nitrogen-containing entity
such as an amine or polyamide.
Epoxy coatings are packaged in 2
containers, one each for the harden-
er and the resin. They are mixed just
prior to application.
Copyright ©1995, Technology Publishing Company JULY 1995 / 75
 GENERIC COATING TYPES

bon, which is found in organic resin is dispersed in water to form a rates. In coatings that protect wood
resins. Silicone resins are known for water emulsion. While latex coatings or concrete, where moisture in the
2 properties: gloss retention and can be made with a number of or- structure must be allowed to pass
temperature resistance. ganic resins, acrylics are the major through the coating, this is an asset.
When silicone resins are added to resin type. They are used as both But in primers for steel, it is a liabili-
alkyds, the resulting formulations are protective and architectural coatings ty that requires the use of anti-corro-
better in color and gloss retention. in the form of primers, intermediate sive pigments as compensation.
This coating, known as a silicone coats, and topcoats. Water-borne acrylic coatings are
alkyd, is more properly classified as Water-borne acrylic coatings have one-component materials that cure
an alkyd or a hybrid coating be- high moisture vapor transmission continued
cause it cures by air oxidation.
Coatings employing silicone resins
by themselves or in combination
with other organic resins can yield a
range of temperature resistance—the
other main performance property of
silicone. Silicone coatings are one of
few coating types that can be used
to protect high temperature surfaces.

Phenolic
Phenolic coatings are based on phe-
nol-formaldehyde, an inorganic
resin. Pure phenolic resins are cured
by heat and are referred to as bak-
ing phenolics. They are known for
their resistance to chemicals, sol-
vents, and water. Phenolic coatings
are high performance materials used
to line vessels, tanks, and containers
exposed to certain chemicals and el-
evated temperatures. They also resist
boiling water and steam. Phenol-
formaldehyde can also be reacted
with drying oils to give air-dried, oil-
based coatings. In this case, they are
considered to be oil-based coatings.

Polyester and Vinyl Ester

These coatings are based on an or-
ganic, unsaturated polyester dis-
solved in an unsaturated monomer.
They cure by a free radical reaction
initiated by a peroxide catalyst.
These coatings, known for their acid
and chemical resistance, are used
mainly as linings.

Generic Coating Types Classified

by Curing Mechanism
Water-borne Acrylic
Water-borne acrylic, or acrylic latex,
coatings are materials where the
Copyright ©1995, Technology Publishing Company JULY 1995 / 77
GENERIC COATING TYPES
by solvent evaporation followed by
coalescence of the resin particles.
These coatings are used to protect
steel in mild or moderate environ-
ments. They also are used as
overcoats for oil-based or alkyd
coatings, because they have low
shrinkage when they cure and,
therefore, apply very little stress to
the existing system.
78 / Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings
Urethane (Chemical Cure)
Coatings in this generic class use an
isocyanate functional group
(–N=C=O) to cross link the resin.
Thus, the classification is by type of
chemical bond (related to curing)
and not by resin. In fact, many dif-
ferent resins, such as acrylics, epox-
ies, polyesters, and vinyls can be
used to formulate urethanes. Chemi-
cally cured urethanes are packaged
in 2 containers and, like other chem-
ically curing materials, have a limit-
ed pot life after mixing.
A number of different perfor-
mance properties can be achieved
with this type of coating, depending
on the resin and the type of
isocyanate-containing molecule
used. In general, chemically cured
urethanes have good water and
chemical resistance. Aliphatic ure-
thanes are known for gloss and
color retention, while aromatic ure-
thanes yellow in sunlight but are
less expensive. Chemically cured
urethanes form a smooth, slick film.
The surface can be easily cleaned or
decontaminated.
Urethane (Moisture Cure)
Coatings in this generic class also
have the isocyanate group
(–N=C=O) attached to a polymer.
Upon application, some of the iso-
cyanate reacts with moisture to form
an amine. The amine then reacts
with other isocyanate polymers to
form the film.
Moisture-cured urethanes are
packaged in 1 container. The mois-
ture needed for the curing reaction
comes from the air. These materials
have a limited pot life because mois-
ture in the air will react with the iso-
cyanate in the can.
The reaction with moisture takes
place at a reasonable rate, even at
low temperatures, if there is water in
the air. Moisture-cured urethanes,
therefore, have been used for cold
weather application. They do not
have the color and gloss retention of
aliphatic, chemically cured ure-
thanes. However, they do have
strong performance properties as
coatings for steel.
Cementitious
Coatings in this generic class are
based on inorganic materials, such
as portland cement, that harden on
continued
Copyright ©1995, Technology Publishing Company
GENERIC COATING TYPES
reaction with water. Cementitious
coatings usually consist of a mixture
of cement, aggregate, and water.
They are applied in thick films,
which are measured in inches or
millimeters rather than mils or mi-
crons. They have high compressive
strength and other properties similar
to concrete.
Cementitious coatings are known
80 / Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings
for their chemical resistance. The
specific chemical resistance depends
on the type of cement and aggregate
used. They are also used for
fireproofing and high temperature
service.
Cementitious coatings are applied
differently than other types of coat-
ings, requiring pneumatic equip-
ment, forms, and sometimes trowels
rather than spray guns, rollers, and
brushes.
Generic Coating Types Classified
by General Description
Inorganic Zinc-Rich
Zinc-rich coatings contain high load-
ings of metallic zinc dust. Inorganic
zinc-rich coatings are characterized
by the use of a silicate resin. They
cure by heating, application of a
curing solution, evaporation, or re-
action with moisture, depending on
the particular type of coating.
Inorganic zinc-rich coatings pro-
tect by a galvanic or sacrificial
mechanism, which means the zinc is
consumed to protect a more noble
metal. They are used, therefore, as a
primer or one-coat system to protect
steel from corrosion. They may be
supplied with the zinc dust pack-
aged separately from the binder, or
in 1 container that incorporates the
silicate binder and the zinc dust. In-
organic zinc-rich coatings require
constant agitation during application
to keep the zinc particles suspended
in the liquid vehicle of the coating.
Inorganic zinc-rich primers are un-
affected by most organic solvents
but require a topcoat to resist expo-
sure to acids or alkalis. They can
withstand exposure up to approxi-
mately 1,000 F (538 C) when used
without a topcoat. Inorganic zinc-
rich primers also are known for their
abrasion resistance. These coatings
are high performance materials that
offer long service life, especially in
marine environments.
Organic Zinc-Rich
Organic zinc-rich coatings have high
loadings of metallic zinc dust in or-
ganic binders, which include epoxy
polyamide, urethane, vinyl, chlori-
nated rubber, silicone, phenoxy, and
other suitable organic resins.
Organic zinc-rich coatings com-
bine the properties of the vehicle
with the abrasion resistance and sac-
rificial action of the zinc. Compared
Copyright ©1995, Technology Publishing Company
 GENERIC COATING TYPES

to inorganic zinc-rich coatings, they tions. The classifications are general narrower, more descriptive classes.
tend to have better compatibility and broad. Within each generic type For example, chemically cured ure-
with topcoats, be less tough and are many variations. For instance, thanes can incorporate many differ-
abrasion-resistant, but be more toler- the generic type epoxy includes dif- ent resins with the resultant film
ant of variations in surface prepara- ferent resins and hardeners with a having different performance prop-
tion. Organic zinc-rich coatings also broad range of specific properties. erties. Using the example above,
are high performance materials that Oil-based and alkyd coatings like- which requires a coating with resis-
provide a long service life in marine wise include many different resins of tance to sunlight and to chemical
as well as other environments. varying quality. In addition, most spills, the specifier can choose be-
generic types can be subdivided into continued
Hybrid
Hybrid coatings are those that com-
bine technologies from other cate-
gories. For example, modifying an
oil-based resin with an epoxy resin
produces an epoxy ester. A hybrid
coating has characteristics intermedi-
ate between the technologies used.
Thus, an epoxy ester, which has an
epoxy-modified oil resin, has better
chemical resistance and corrosion
protection than an oil-based coating
but not as good as an epoxy coating
that cures by chemical reaction.

Strengths and Limits of

Generic Classification
Classifying by generic type establish-
es groups of coatings with similar
chemical and performance proper-
ties. The person who must select
coatings can, therefore, more readily
sort among the thousands of prod-
ucts available to find the most ap-
propriate one. For instance, when a
coating is to be exposed to splash
and spill of harsh acids in an exteri-
or environment, the specifier of the
coating can exclude alkyds because
of their limited resistance to acids;
additionally, the specifier can ex-
clude epoxies as topcoat candidates
because of their weakness in sun-
light. A chemically cured urethane,
on the other hand, with strong resis-
tance to both acids and sunlight, is
an appropriate candidate. The
search is narrowed in this way to
consideration of only those products
classified as chemically cured ure-
thanes.
Generic coating classifications,
while useful, also have their limita-
Copyright ©1995, Technology Publishing Company JULY 1995 / 81
 GENERIC COATING TYPES
tween acrylic urethanes, which have
better resistance to sunlight, and
polyester urethanes, which have bet-
ter acid resistance. The choice be-
tween them will depend on which
of the 2 performance properties is
more important.
Another weakness of the generic
type classification system, indeed, of
any coating classification system,
is that it does not give any indica-
tion about the quality of the prod-
uct. There are many constituents,
both major and minor, that are in-
corporated into a coating’s formula-
tion. In fact, formulation has as
much of an influence on perfor-
mance as does the generic type. Any
classification system indicates only
generalities about the coatings in
each class and assumes that the ma-
terial is properly formulated. Choice
of a specific product from a manu-
facturer is best made on the basis of
performance testing.
82 / Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings
Classification by generic type is
one of the most useful methods of
categorizing coatings. Some generic
types have specific uses, such as re-
sistance to certain exposure environ-
ments, or specific strengths, such as
color and gloss retention. Some
generic types have more general
uses, and the user must select the
types of coating based on factors
such as the severity of the exposure
environment, level of surface prepa-
ration, and expected life. Compati-
bility of primers and topcoats is
also often expressed in terms of
generic types.
Referencing coatings by their
generic type usually indicates a use,
special attribute, or level of perfor-
mance. The articles in this series de-
scribe the history, chemistry, proper-
ties, and handling of the most
common generic types so a better
understanding can be obtained
about coating materials. JPCL
Copyright ©1995, Technology Publishing Company