Chapter 16: Paint Analysis

Pretreatment

Applied to the steel body of the vehicle to inhibit rust.

Microtome

A minivice that holds a sample in place while a heavy and very sharp glass- or diamondedged knife slices off sections of a few tens of microns thick.

Vehicle

Refers to the solvents, resins, and other additives that form a continuous film, binding the pigment to the surface.

Enamel

A pigmented coating that has a high gloss (luminous reflectivity) when it dries.

Metamerism

The condition in which two colors appear similar under one set of conditions but different under others.

Lacquer

Clear or pigmented coatings that dry quickly through evaporation of the solvent.

Topcoat

Form of a single- color- layer coat, a multilayer coat, or a metallic color coat; this is the layer that most people think of when they think of a vehicles color.

Paint evidence

________ should be first photographed and then removed manually with nonmetallic tools, such as small wooden sticks, toothpicks, or plastic forceps.

Shellac

A solution of melted lac, a resinous excretion of the Lac insect dissolved in alcohol used as a sealant, adhesive, or insulating varnish.

Clearcoats

Unpigmented coatings applied to improve gloss and durability of a vehicles coating.

Binder

That portion of the coating, other than the pigment, that allows the pigment to be distributed across the surface.

Primer

Usually an epoxy resin with corrosion- resistant pigments; the color of the ________ is coordinated with the final vehicle color to minimize contrast and "bleed- through ..

Latex

A suspension of a pigment in a water- based emulsion of any of several resins.

Varnish

A clear solution of oils and organic or synthetic resins in an organic solvent.

loose flakes

Lifting or prying out ________ are one of the ways to remove flakes of paint in a surface.

Absorption spectroscopy

________, using a microspectrophotometer (or MSP for short), has been used to categorize and discriminate between otherwise visually similar paints.

paint samples

All ________ should be clearly labeled as per origin, with drawings or photographs as documentation.

Pigment

Fine powder that is insoluble in the medium in which it is dispersed; are e intended to color and /or cover a surface; they may be organic, inorganic, or a mixture.

Special Purpose Coatings

Fulfill some specific need beyond protection or aesthetic improvement, such as skid resistance, water proofing, or luminescence.

Architectural Paints

Household paints, and are those coatings most often found in residences and businesses.

Solvents

Dissolve the binder and give the paint a suitable consistency for application.

Product Coatings

applied in the process of manufacturing products including automobiles

Latex

A suspension of a pigment in a water-based emulsion of any of several resins

Stain

A solution of dye or a suspension of a pigment designed to color, but not protect, a wood surface

Primer

usually an epoxy resin with corrosion-resistant pigments; the color of the primer is coordinated with the final vehicle color to minimize contrast and "bleed-through."

Topcoat

form of a single-color-layer coat, a multilayer coat, or a metallic color coat; this is the layer that most people think of when they think of a vehicles color

Scanning electron microscope

can be used to characterize the structure and elemental composition of paint layers

Paint Data Query (PDQ)

run by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and is the largest international automotive paint database

Paint

a suspension of pigments and additives intended to color or protect a surface.

Pigment

a fine powder that is insoluble in the medium in which it is dispersed; are e intended to color and/or cover a surface; they may be organic, inorganic, or a mixture.

Art Paints

are occasionally encountered in forgery cases. It is somehow the same as Architectural Paints, but many artists formulate their paints, leading to potentially unique sources.

Polarized light microscopy

is appropriate for the examination of a layer structure as well as the comparison and/or identification of particles present in a paint film including, but not limited to, pigments, extenders, additives, and contaminants.