INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Paint Factory or plant is an industrial site, usually consisting of buildings and machinery, or more commonly a complex having several buildings, where workers process raw materials into paint.

Factories arose with the introduction of machinery during the industrial revolution when the capital and space requirements became too great for cottage industry and workshops.

Paint is a subdivision of surface coating. It is a relatively opaque solid coating applied as thin layer whose films are usually formed by polymerization of polyunsaturated oil. However, other subdivisions of surface coating include: varnishes (clear coating), enamels (pigmented varnishes), lacquers (film formed by evaporation only), printing inks and polishes. Paints generally have very low thermal conductivity, electrically inert and can be washed and cleaned. The various raw materials for making paints include pigments, vehicle, alkyd resins, surfactants, solvents (thinners) and colouring matters.

Paints are classified into two principal types:

Resin based paints (Gloss finishes) and Latex based paints (Emulsion paints). The major difference between the two is only in the types of vehicle used and cost.

Resin based paints are used for exterior and interior surfaces and are dry to a lustrous or shinny finish.

Emulsion (Latex) paint involves the emulsion of 2-phases one of which is water and any other phase.

Classically, emulsion is a suspension of one phase in another. Latex paints have as their major film forming constituent synthetic resin latex with or without other film forming constituents added in an oil-water emulsion type system. The continuous phase consists of an alkali – dispersed hydropholic colloid in water and contains two more different types of particles in suspension, styrene – butadeux (SBR) copolymer which was the original quality film former in emulsion paint. Polyvinyl acetate (PVA), acrylic and PVA acrylics copolymers have largely replaced SBR as film former.

From these, resins and latex are made objects with a wide range of colours and texture found in household wares, building materials, electrical and electronic appliances, automobile and aeronautics, clothing, building structures etc. in short it s difficult to imagine contemporary society without painting (colours).

Paints are the material employed as finishing for other materials. They are used to protect metals, timber and plastered surface from the effect of weather, heat, moisture, gases etc., thereby improving their appearance. Paints are classified into oil, water and cement and bituminom paints. There are also special paints used for special purpose e.g. heat resisting, fire proofing, chlorinated rubber paint etc.