PAINT

Definition

A suspension of powdered pigment in a liquid vehicle, used for decorative and protective surface coatings. In oil-based paints, the vehicle contains solvents and a drying oil or synthetic resin. In waterbased or emulsion paints, the vehicle is mostly water with an emulsified resin.

Industrial uses

Paint is a term used since the dawn of history to designate cosmetics, marking chalks and pastes, tempera plaster, and colored fluids applied to surfaces for artistic, decorative, or weatherproofing purposes. The term survives today as a general marketing designation for decorative and protective formulations used in architectural, commercial, and industrial applications, with such diverse materials as lacquer, varnish, baking finishes, and specialty coating systems covered in a single category. Paint is a general name sometimes used broadly to refer to all types of organic coatings.