UV Stability of Zydex Silicate Mineral Paints and the Si-O-Si bond

Why does the boulder in your garden remain unchanged while you repeatedly have your house repainted every few years? It is a simple yet profound question. The answer lies in the chemistry of materials.

All Acrylic paints have binders that are petroleum derived and ultimately carbon based. The C-C bond is the fundamental building block of all carbon-based materials. It is the most versatile chemistry in the universe and can be used to create an almost infinite variety of materials. It is the fundamental basis of all life on this planet.

Carbon based chemistries does have its drawbacks. The biggest, is the fact that C-C bond can be attacked by oxygen free radicals in our atmosphere and be broken by their action. Oxygen free radicals are formed in the atmosphere due the effects of UV and water (In the form of precipitation or humidity). When UV and water are combined with atmospheric oxygen, destructive free radicals are formed. These free radicals are also formed during the metabolic processed in our bodies and the main cause of ageing.

In Acrylic paints, the first signs of ageing are the loss of gloss or sheen on the paint film. This is due to the micro-etching resulting from free radical attack in the presence of UV. As the ageing progresses, the film loses its elasticity and becomes brittle and dull and start to flake and peel off. The organic pigments too fade from the same mechanism (see our article on “Non-Fading Property of Silicate Mineral Paints”)

So why is the boulder unchanged?

It is because the fundamental building block of the boulder is mineral in nature and based on the Si-O-Si bond. This is in fact the strongest bond found in nature and cannot be broken by the effects of UV and free radical attack. The same bond is found in a variety of durable materials such as stone, tiles, ceramics etc.

Zydex Silicate Mineral Paints too rely on the Si-O-Si bond as its building block and similarly are impervious to the effects of UV. There are buildings painted with Silicate Paints have not been repainted for over 100 years! The intensity of sunlight and UV in tropical weather such as India makes Zydex Silicate Mineral Paints the most ideal and long-lasting paints that keep your facades looking fresh for decades!