Brilliant Matt – An Oxymoron?
In the world of Acrylic paints, the normal expectation is that paints that are matt are by extension dull.
Paints are generally of two varieties: High PVC and Low PVC, where the term PVC stands for Pigment Volume Concentration. Essentially, each formulation has a unique concentration of binder (the oil phase or wet phase) where the dry, mineral phase is completely submerged in the film. This particular point is referred to as CPVC or Critical Pigment Volume Concentration. When the binder content increases beyond this, thus low in mineral content and hence low in Pigment Volume Concentration (low PVC), the resultant films are glossy. Conversely, when binder content is lower than the CPVC, the resulting films are matt and thus high PVC.
Thus, almost all matt paints in the industry are high PVC with low binder content. There are exceptions to this rule, however we will not explore this here.
Higher binder content imparts an improved durability to the paint film and thus there is a tendency for people to equate durability with sheen. Further, due to the higher light reflectance at sharp angles, it is assumed that these paints have higher luminosity than their matt counterparts which in-fact can be untrue (See our article “Light Reflectance of Silicate Paints”). Thus, high Sheen is often associated with richness of color whereas Matt is associated with dull.
High sheen has its drawbacks however. The high binder content in the film actually ends up absorbing a lot of the light thus actually lowering the brilliance of color to some extent. The glare often seen at sharp angles also contributes to dullness of color. When painting, high sheen tends to accentuate the surface undulations and defects which is undesirable. It also lends the building a shiny plasticky finish that can feel extremely artificial.
Wouldn’t it be ideal if you could have a completely Matt paint with a natural look that was even more luminous and brilliant than Sheen paints?
Enter Silicate Mineral Paints!
Silicate paints are bound together by Potassium Silicate, a mineral binder (see our article on “What is Potassium Silicate”). When the paint dries, the potassium silicate precipitates into microscopic crystals that bind the pigments and fillers together with the surface. The paint matrix is essentially composed of millions of tiny shards of transparent glass that make the paint colors reflect light and shine!
Crystals are by nature sharp edged, and this further enhances the matt effect that Silicate Paints offer and ensures that surface defects and undulations are minimized. The deep matt nature of silicate paints imparts a natural mineral look to your building with unsurpassed luminosity. The combination of fade-free pigments (See our article on “Non-Fading Property of Silicate Mineral Paints“) and deep matt effect ensures that Zydex Silicate Mineral Paints are easy to touch up resulting in simple building maintenance.
Overall, the unique combination of deep matt and high light reflectance ensures that your building looks natural and radiant for decades!
