When starting to paint, you should carefully weigh all the pros and cons so as not to make a mistake in choosing a paint, and so that the result obtained in the future does not disappoint you. Alkyd and acrylic - two fundamentally different colors. Differing both in ingredients and properties, and in what type of surface is ultimately obtained.
Alkyd paints include compositions made using polyhydric alcohols and acids. The word “alkyd” itself comes from two roots alcohol (alcohol, alcohol) and acid (acid). The film-forming substances of these enamels are alkyd resin, drying oil, oil and others.
Acrylics are water-dispersion paints based on polymer substances. The composition can be adjusted by adding water and additionally colored with pigment pastes. They have good resistance to moisture.
The service life of an acrylic surface is longer than that of its alkyd counterpart. If the preparatory period is carried out correctly, the acrylic coating remains unchanged on a wood surface for up to eight years, and on plaster for up to twenty! The alkyd surface has to be renewed annually, since during this time it manages to lose not only its presentable appearance, but also protective properties. This is due to the fact that oxygen and solar ultraviolet influence in such a way that the top layer, having hardened, begins to thin out, becomes brittle, becomes covered with cracks and becomes colored.
Acrylic enamel does not acquire a yellow tint or lose its gloss when exposed to sunlight, since the polymer emulsion, which is a binder, does not react chemically with oxygen and, accordingly, cannot be oxidized.
The final formation of the acrylic film occurs within a month. This should be taken into account during the drying process. The pliable coating, which has not yet hardened, should be protected from deforming loads, scratching and contamination. But when completely dry, the acrylic film does an excellent job of decorative and protective functions. Alkyd resin hardens during the oxidation process, and after just a few days it can easily withstand mechanical and natural loads.
Decorative qualities. Alkyd paints have a significant advantage over their acrylic counterparts. Although the first ones are short-lived, their colors, shades and halftones are brighter, richer and more varied.

Paints are used to make the painted surface more aesthetically pleasing, while their protective function from the adverse external influences of moisture, wind, temperature influences, and so on is no less important. When choosing paints, their properties are considered, which are especially significant for the specific conditions of their use. Alkyd and acrylic paints are very popular among the products on the market. However, one should be aware of the serious differences in their composition and application features. Let's consider the main properties of these materials.

Composition of alkyd and acrylic paints

The main component of alkyd paint is alkyd resin, which is a binding material obtained by boiling vegetable oils with organic and alcoholic acids or acid anhydrides. White spirit or turpentine are used as the main solvents.


Acrylic paints are of the water-dispersion type. The binding material in them is a dispersion of tiny particles of acrylic resin suspended in water. The pigment used is a dry, insoluble, finely dispersed powder that is suspended in the overall structure.

Basic properties of alkyd paints

The positive qualities of alkyd paints include the following:

• High drying speed, which is facilitated by the presence of special additives in the composition - driers.
• Brightness and saturation of shades, their wide selection.
• Low price of paint.

Disadvantages of alkyd paints that should be considered are:

1. Insufficient reliability of the coating, the appearance of signs of coloring and cracks, loss of decent appearance, requiring updating, which must be performed almost annually.
2. Lack of resistance to sunlight, which contributes to the rapid fading of paint.
3. Some toxicity when drying, requiring careful ventilation.

Basic properties of acrylic paints

The advantages of varnishes and paints on acrylic base can be represented by a solid list:

• The painted surface retains its quality for many years without signs of yellowing, tarnishing or cracking.
• This paint is resistant to humidity and high temperatures, which allows its use on heated surfaces, for example, when painting radiators.
• Its service life is about 8 years when painting wooden surfaces and 20 years when painting metal and plaster.
• Acrylic paint is easy to use, does not emit toxic substances, is environmentally friendly and harmless to the health of others.
• Acrylic-based paints are excellent for preventing corrosion.
• This paint is universal - it is used in a wide range of works and is used for almost all materials.

Disadvantages of acrylic paints

The number of negative aspects of this material is insignificant, but under certain conditions they can be decisive, these include the following:

• Higher price.
• A long drying period, which may require a whole month to achieve the desired condition; During this period, the painted surface should be protected from contamination and mechanical stress.

It is important to note that caution should be exercised when applying acrylic paint over alkyd paint. To avoid unwanted consequences, it is useful to use a primer.

The main differences between alkyd and acrylic paints

A comparison of the characteristics of alkyd and acrylic paints allows us to identify their main differences and draw the following conclusions:

The advantage of acrylic paints is associated with high quality protective functions and reliable resistance to various types natural influences. The service life of acrylic paints significantly exceeds the capabilities of alkyd materials. These are the factors that determined their use for durable coatings in external building structures, when painting car bodies.

The advantages of alkyd paints are their more low price and accessibility on a limited budget, as well as excellent decorative qualities, distinguished by their brightness and richness. However, their insufficient durability limits their scope of application to internal finishing works. Using them for exterior decoration requires frequent updating.

At the moment when the stage of painting the surface begins in the renovation, the obvious question comes to mind: what paint to choose? Surely the color scheme has already been chosen in accordance with the design, so the essence of the question is what type of paint and varnish material to choose for application. Popular options are alkyd and acrylic paints. Despite their similar names, they differ significantly in both composition and characteristics. What are alkyd and acrylic paints and what advantages or disadvantages do they have? This is what will be discussed in this text.

What are alkyd and acrylic paints made of, what are the differences?

Let's get to the analysis of the composition of these two types of paint. The main component of alkyd compositions is alkyd varnish, which is mixed with various fillers, as well as a solvent. The most commonly used pentaphthalic alkyd varnish is a very thick resin to which rosin, glycerin and vegetable oils are added.

The role of the solvent is most often assigned to purified kerosene or, simply put, white spirit. It copes excellently with the breakdown of fractions of fats, oils and various organic compounds, therefore it is excellent for diluting alkyd paints. For fillers of alkyd enamels, marble or granite chips are used due to their high dispersion index.

Coloring pigments are added to this composition, giving the enamel a certain color shade. Quite often, some additional additives are included in the composition that can add functionality to the enamel, for example, an antiseptic to prevent the formation of fungus on the wooden surface.

The basis of acrylic paint is an acrylic polymer emulsion, with which the color pigment is mixed. This emulsion, also known as plexiglass, is the binding agent. The solvent, unlike alkyd enamels, is water. The composition also uses additives that change the properties of the material, for example, improving viscosity and application to the surface or increasing the drying rate.

Features of the use of alkyd paints

Despite the difference in composition, both types of compositions can be called universal. However, let us turn our attention to the use of alkyd-based paints. They can be used for any type of work - external and internal, due to their high mechanical properties, saturation and brightness.

These paints are classified into two main groups - enamels and oil paints. The latter are considered a separate type paint and varnish materials, however, most of them contain alkyd resins, so they can be considered a type of alkyd paint.

Alkyd enamels are widely used in construction and decoration, because they come in both glossy and matte. There are even semi-matte compositions. The film formed by glossy enamels is resistant to abrasion and can be used both for application on wooden surfaces, and on metal ones, in order to protect them. Glossy enamel lays more evenly on the surface and gets dirty a little worse than matte.

Choice of matte alkyd enamel is based rather on the taste of the buyer, because in terms of performance properties they do not differ from glossy ones. If you don't like glare from a painted surface, then matte alkyd enamel will suit you better. These surfaces are a little more susceptible to contamination, but this is a minor problem, because any alkyd paint is resistant to strong detergents and cleans well.

Comparison by main properties

Paint drying. The film obtained after applying alkyd enamel dries quite quickly than acrylic film. After just a few days, the alkyd film can properly perform its functions - both protective and decorative. For acrylic materials, the complete formation of the film takes a week or even more, and during this time the surface must be protected from mechanical stress.

Durability. The service life advantage is on the acrylic side. Intense exposure to the external environment means that alkyd surfaces have to be renewed after just a year. Moreover, if all preparation and application rules have been followed, the acrylic coating can last up to 8 years without the need for repainting.

Acrylic materials are more resistant to ultraviolet radiation. Unlike alkyd compounds, they do not fade and generally do not change the properties of the surface film.

Acrylic paints are also more resistant to mechanical stress, which in its way compensates for the longer preparation for the use of such coatings than for alkyd enamels.

While acrylic shows itself to be a more durable and stable material, alkyd-based compositions have more wide range colors and shades, and after application the colors look much more vibrant.

Advantages and disadvantages of paints

Alkyd enamels have these advantages:

• Lower price and ease of application, which is especially important when choosing a material for large areas of painting.
• Alkyd compositions have a large selection of shades, and the paint itself will not lose its color when dried.
• They dry quickly, and the protective characteristics appear within a couple of days.
• Alkyd enamels perfectly protect metal surfaces from rust and corrosion, and the film formed after application protects the surface well from aggressive cleaning agents such as bleach or bleach.

Alkyd compositions also have the following disadvantages:

• In the long term, they are not very reliable; over time, the surface will turn yellow and become cracked, so the paint will have to be renewed annually.
• Alkyd paints contain unsafe chemical components that cause bad smell which appear upon drying.

At the same time, acrylic paints have their own competitive advantages

• Long service life and increased resistance to external irritants, which will retain excellent performance properties.
• A good option for indoor use, because there is no release of odor or harmful substances.
• Good possibility for use even in the most high temperatures heating surfaces - for example for heating pipes.

Disadvantages of acrylic compositions:

• The cost of such paints will be higher, and the selection of a truly high-quality composition will be more difficult. Acrylic surfaces take longer to acquire their protective characteristics - from several weeks to a month.

Compatibility of alkyd and acrylic materials

Sometimes you may come across the question: is it possible to use acrylic paints to repaint alkyd surfaces? Or vice versa, is it possible to apply alkyd-based compositions over acrylic? There is only one answer - it is not recommended. Moreover, it makes no difference what kind of surface we are talking about, metal or wood.

The exact composition of any paint and varnish material cannot be fully known. Applying acrylic enamels over alkyd may result in the fact that the active components of the latter may appear through the top layer in the form of darkened spots and streaks, thereby ruining the entire surface. Otherwise, the alkyd paint may simply not adhere to the acrylic surface, as a result of which it will gradually peel off from the surface.

However, if a significant period of use of the painted surface has already passed and volatile elements have eroded from its surface, then it is possible to apply materials on top of each other. However, this should not be done on a “bare” surface anyway; pre-treatment with a primer is required. Important point– the primer must be the same type as the paint you will be reapplying.

Production of alkyd and acrylic compositions

Despite the fact that the trend in production is the production of environmentally friendly materials that are diluted with water, namely acrylic compositions, the main component produced by domestic factories are alkyd binders of paints and varnishes. To be precise, more than 65% of all paint and varnish production is occupied by alkyd materials.

It is worth noting that foreign companies They are conducting much more active research into polymer compounds that are the basis for acrylic paints, as well as additives to these compounds. New technologies are being developed, the main emphasis of which is on environmental friendliness. In this regard, acrylic products are more attractive from the point of view of use. However, the price of such a product is much higher, which ultimately greatly influences the consumer’s choice.

To summarize, alkyd-based paints are a very attractive choice - they are inexpensive, bright, dry quickly and have good durability. However, in the long term, acrylic enamels have an advantage, given that they are less toxic and can retain their properties for decades.

On the market today finishing materials There is a wide variety of paints and varnishes available. As reviews on forums, photos in catalogs and videos on online construction resources show, alkyd and acrylic paints are especially popular. So what's the difference and which is better? To find the answer, you need to understand in detail the features of their composition, application and properties.

Compound

Alkyd paints are a modern version of classic oil paints because they have a similar hardening (oligomerization) mechanism. They are made from alkyd resins, which, in turn, are created through heat treatment of various vegetable oils with the participation of polyhydric alcohols. This is also evidenced by the term “alkyd”, which comes from the words alcohol (“alcohol”) and acid (“acid”). Enamels are sold in dissolved form. Depending on the type of alcohol component used (glycerin or pentaerythritol), they are divided into pentaphthalic and glyphthalic. Traditionally dissolved:

• white spirit;
• orthoxylene
• nefrasom

Acrylic paints are based on polyacrylic polymers. Acrylic is commonly known as plexiglass and is produced by hydrolysis of lactic acid. These paints come in water-based and varnish versions. In order to obtain a certain degree of elasticity and resistance to environmental factors, fillers and additives are used.

Properties and scope of application

The main difference between alkyd and acrylic paints is the natural origin of the first and the synthetic origin of the second. Alkyds are quite universal and can be applied to:

• wood;
• stone.

They create a harder, but less elastic film compared to colored oil counterparts. Rarely used for drawing, but due to their neutrality household chemicals often used indoors when it is necessary to obtain a shiny, durable surface with a rich, expressive color.

Acrylic paints tend to be less bright and have a muted matte effect. They are offered on the market in a huge range of solutions and are suitable for both artistic solutions and construction and finishing work, including rust. Demonstrating low vulnerability to atmospheric influences, they are suitable for facade work.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of alkyd-based paints include:

• quick drying;
• resistance to moisture and chemicals;
• ease of work;
• low price;
• impressive selection of shades.

Initial polymerization occurs within an hour, and maximum hardening is achieved within several days. No professional working equipment is required to perform painting. Among the problematic aspects, it is worth highlighting the not very long durability of the coating - with intensive use and exposure to ultraviolet radiation, it can turn yellow after just a few years. In addition, as the components evaporate, they emit a specific odor, which is why it is not recommended to stay in a freshly painted room without ventilation.

The acrylic group retains its excellent strength and aesthetic characteristics even with elevated temperatures, making it suitable for painting radiators and similar heating structures. Thanks to its high adhesion, wooden products lasts up to eight years, and on plastered and metal ones - up to ten. Among the additional advantages:

• resistance to UV rays, which is important when exterior decoration structures;
• transparency, allowing the use of paint for light wood species;
• good hiding power at low consumption;
• providing natural ventilation.

Dries from half an hour to two hours (drying time depends on the ingredients of the specific solution and the condition environment), although it takes a long time to gain final strength. With appropriate additives, they provide excellent protection against corrosive processes and are even suitable for rust. Random strokes can be easily removed without deforming the rest of the area. Among the disadvantages are the relatively high cost and the use of solvents.

Is it possible to apply paints on top of each other?

Acrylic and alkyd paints are not characterized by very good compatibility, which is due to the significant difference in their components. By combining them, you risk getting the coating to swell, and if you use the reverse algorithm, you will most likely experience delamination. But, if there is a need to put one paint on top of another, the base should be:

• thoroughly clean from dust and dirt;
• sand with fine-grained sandpaper;
• treat with primer.

Preparatory measures will improve adhesion and reduce the likelihood of peeling, but the service life of the resulting layer is reduced by at least half.

Which paint is better?

From the facts described above it is clear that it is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. More wear-resistant acrylic paint, but if we are talking about a limited budget and visual effectiveness, it is rational to give preference to the alkyd category.

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Alkyd and acrylic paints are some of the most common types of paints when it comes to serious painting works: painting walls, metal products etc. Perhaps due to the similarity of the name, they are often confused. Do these types of paints really have anything in common?

Compound

In fact, the only similarity is that both are paints. They are completely different in composition.

Alkyd type can be called a more modernized option oil paints. They are characterized by a similar mechanism of hardening and formation of a surface film (which, by the way, is somewhat stronger, but less elastic). Alkyd paints consist of polyhydric alcohols (for example, glycerin) in combination with orthophthalic acid. Actually, the word “alkyd” comes from a combination of the words “alcohol” (alcohol) and “acid” (acid).

Unlike alkyd paints, acrylic paints are made on the basis of acrylic, a polymer better known as plexiglass. Paints may contain various additional components designed to improve certain properties (add elasticity, speed up drying).

Basic properties

• Life time. Unlike alkyd paint, the surface of acrylic paint retains its original appearance much longer. It is advisable to renew alkyd paint about once a year, since oxygen and ultraviolet radiation intensively destroy the surface layer of paint. Acrylic coating, subject to the technology of surface preparation and paint application, can last from 8 (wood) to 20 (plaster) years.
• UV resistance. Acrylic practically does not change the properties of the surface film when exposed to sunlight, that is, it does not fade, does not turn yellow, and does not acquire a “matte” appearance. Alkyd compounds are not so reliable in this regard.
• Drying process. But the alkyd film dries relatively quickly, and after just a couple of days it fully performs its protective and decorative functions. The acrylic film completes its formation approximately a month after application to the surface. In this case, the coating should be protected from mechanical influences until it is completely dry.
• Mechanical stability. The longer process of forming the acrylic film is compensated by more high level resistance to mechanical stress (deformation, scratches).
• Decorative properties. Alkyd compositions are distinguished by a more diverse range of shades and undertones, as well as generally more bright colors. On the other hand, acrylic paint lasts longer and does not require regular updating.

Are acrylic and alkyd paints compatible?

Is it possible to apply alkyd compounds to acrylic or vice versa? Neither one nor the other is recommended, especially if the painting of the base occurred relatively recently or we are talking about metal surface. The fact is that the specific composition of the paints may not be completely clear to us. Alkyd compositions may contain components that will appear as dark spots through the acrylic paint layer. If alkyd paint is applied over acrylic, then it may not adhere to it, that is, it may peel off.

The only option for applying such paints to each other is to apply it to an old coating from which all the volatile components have already evaporated. However, even in this case, apply the top coat of paint only after treating the surface with a similar type of primer (that is, acrylic paint on acrylic primer and vice versa).