A formulation, as it relates to paints and coatings, is used to describe a coating whose constituents have been selected and prepared to make it suitable for a particular application. A specific formulation encompasses the list of various raw materials used to manufacture the coating as well as the proportion of each ingredient used in the final mixture.
Paints and coatings are versatile materials that are defined primarily by the composition of their individual constituents. For each industrial application, coatings must be customized to ensure that they meet project-specific requirements. In other words, the coating formulation must be such that the properties of the coating meet the demands of the customer for a given environment.
Coating formulations are developed by a chemist, who analyzes the demands of the project and selects the appropriate raw materials and determines the mixing proportions that will produce the required performance. Elements that define a coating's formulation include, but are not limited to:
- Pigment type
- Binder type
- Extenders
- Solvents
- Additives