Paint Thinner - Wikipedia

Solvent used to dissolve paint

A paint thinner is a solvent used to dilute oil-based paints[1][2] or varnish. In this context, to dilute is also known as to 'thin'. Paint thinners are diluents. Solvents labeled "paint thinner" are usually white or mineral spirits.

Uses

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Principally, paints are either a colloidal suspension of solid pigment particles or are an emulsion of dense viscous dye gel or paste with a filler all dispersed through a lighter free-flowing liquid medium — the solvent. This solvent also controls flow and application properties, and in some cases can affect the stability of the paint while in liquid state. Its main function is to act as the carrier to ensure an even spread of the non-volatile components. After a long period in storage, the dense paint pigment and filler settles out over time and it can lose some of its solvent due to evaporation, becoming so thick and viscous that it does not flow properly when used. By the addition of more solvent, it can be diluted or re-dissolved to restore the paint to an appropriate consistency for use. The diluent acts to reduce the viscosity and so making a more free-flowing liquid, so in this context, "thinning" is the act of dilution.

These solvents can also be used as paint-brush cleaners to remove or to clean items that have become caked in dried-on paint. With improvements in paint manufacturing have led to the reduction of use of organic solvents in preference for water, means that paint clean-up can be done with water and common surfactants and detergents.

Common paint thinners

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Common organic solvents used historically as paint thinners are volatile organic compounds — forms of hydrocarbons — and include:[3]

• White spirit — also called mineral spirits
• Acetone — a very simple ketone, often called nail varnish remover
• Butanone / methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)
• Dimethylformamide (DMF)
• Glycol ethers — such as 2-Butoxyethanol
• Alcohols — such as isopropyl alcohol / isopropanol and 1-propanol
• Light naphtha distillates
• Turpentine
• Linseed oil
• Lacquer thinner — a combination of alcohols, alkyl esters, ethers, ketones, and aromatic hydrocarbons / arenes

Less common organic solvents used as paint thinner — like aromatic organic compounds that are more hazardous, so more heavily regulated and restricted in use — but still used in the construction industry include:[4]

• Aromatic hydrocarbons / arenes
  • Ethylbenzene
  • Toluene / toluol
  • Xylene / xylol
• Alkyl esters
  • Amyl acetate
  • n-Butyl acetate
• Butanol

Inorganic solvents used as paint thinner:

• Water — the universal solvent is a paint thinner, technically, but rarely called so

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Hazards and health concerns

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These organic solvents are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and some paint thinners can ignite from just a small spark in relatively low temperatures, with white or mineral spirits having a very low flash point at about 40°C (104°F), the same as some popular brands of charcoal starter. All such solvents with low flash points are hazardous and must be labelled as flammable. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Prolonged exposure to VOCs emitted by paint containing these solvents or its clean-up using paint thinner are hazardous to health. VOCs exhibit high lipid solubility and for this reason, they bioaccumulate in adipose / fatty tissues. [10] Extensive exposure to these vapours has been strongly related to organic solvent syndrome, although a definitive relation has yet to be fully established. [11] For safety reasons, the use of substances containing these solvents should always be done in well-ventilated areas, to limit the health consequences and minimise the risk of injuries or fatalities.[12] In countries with poor environmental protection regulation, workers commonly experience a high exposure to these chemicals with consequent damage to their health. [13]

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists has established threshold limit values (TLVs) for most of these compounds. The TLV is defined as the maximum concentration in air which can be breathed by a normal person — i.e. excluding children, pregnant women, etc. — in the course of a typical American work week of 40 hours, day-after-day through their work life without long-term ill effects. Globally, the most widely accepted standard for acceptable levels of VOC in paint is Green Seal's GS-11 Standards from the US which defines different VOC levels acceptable for different types of paint based on use case and performance requirements. [14] [15]

Disposal of organic solvents used as paint thinners have been regulated across the European Union and in most developed countries to restrict this and making illegal the deliberate or accidental release into wastewater via the sewage system, forbidding pouring these down the drain. It is possible to recycle these solvents and the paint through specific recovery mechanisms available at waste management and recycling centers. Due to their hazardous nature and environmental threat of damaging pollution — persistent organic pollutants from aromatic organic compounds that are resistant to degradation are often found in wastewater with poor handling and disposal resulting in them seeping into groundwater, contaminating public water supplies [16] [17] — so in recent decades, laws from legislatures like the European Parliament in EU regulations have extensively reduced the usage of these VOC solvents in favour of water-based paints — that is, using ones like acrylic paints that have been reformulated to be made with water as the primary solvent, with only low levels of hydrocarbon solvents, if any — which perform in a very similar way as oil paints, but also are much less polluting, so have a much lower environmental impact. [18]

Addiction

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Paint thinners are often used as an inhalant, due to its accessibility and legality as a drug. Many teenagers become addicted to thinner and due to lack of knowledge, parents and caregivers do not notice it or give it much attention. By using paint thinner a person could experience hallucinations, sensitive hearing (for the first time), speech deformation, memory loss, etc.[19]

See also

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• Lacquer thinner – Solvents able to dissolve lacquer
• Environmental impact of paint
• Persistent organic pollutant – Organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation
• Substance-induced psychosis – Mental condition attributed to substance intoxication

References

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1. ^ The Chambers Dictionary
2. ^ Collins English Dictionary
3. ^ "How To Thin Paint For Sprayer?". 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021.
4. ^ Health and Safety Executive "Solvents", Construction Information Sheet No 27 (revision 2), [1]
5. ^ Material Safety Data Sheet (Revised ed.). Wichita, KS: HOC Industries, Inc. 2003. p. 1.
6. ^ "Is Paint Thinner Flammable?". Retrieved 2022-07-26.
7. ^ Health and Safety Executive "Construction hazardous substances: Solvents"
8. ^ "Labelling and packaging - Chemical classification". www.hse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
9. ^ "Hazard symbols and hazard pictograms - Chemical classification". www.hse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
10. ^ Wania F., Mackay D. (1996). "Tracking the Distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants". Environmental Science & Technology. 30 (9): 390A – 396A. doi:10.1021/es962399q. PMID 21649427.
11. ^ SPURGEON A (2006). "Watching Paint Dry: Organic Solvent Syndrome in late-Twentieth-Century Britain". Medical History. 50 (2): 167–188. doi:10.1017/s002572730000973x. PMC 1472097. PMID 16711296.
12. ^ Working with substances hazardous to health: A brief guide to COSHH https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.pdf
13. ^ "Internal emails reveal how the chemical lobby fights regulation", The Guardian [2]
14. ^ "South Korea expands VOC controls and tightens limits in paint". chemicalwatch.com. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
15. ^ "Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Consumer Products Regulations". www.chemsafetypro.com. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
16. ^ Huang, Andrew C.; Nelson, Cait; Elliott, John E.; Guertin, Daniel A.; Ritland, Carol; Drouillard, Ken; Cheng, Kimberly M.; Schwantje, Helen M. (2018-07-01). "River otters (Lontra canadensis) "trapped" in a coastal environment contaminated with persistent organic pollutants: Demographic and physiological consequences". Environmental Pollution. 238: 306–316. Bibcode:2018EPoll.238..306H. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.035. ISSN 0269-7491. PMID 29573713.
17. ^ Ritter L; Solomon KR; Forget J; Stemeroff M; O'Leary C. "Persistent organic pollutants" (PDF). United Nations Environment Programme. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
18. ^ Health and Safety Executive "Paint and coatings" [3]
19. ^ "Paint Thinner Addiction Treatment: Addiction Signs, Causes, And Withdrawal Symptoms". Lybrate. Retrieved 2022-07-26.

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