Flame retardant, smoke suppression and antibacterial efficiencies of zinc borates additives at the water based- styrene acrylic paints

Water based paints are surface protectors consisting of numerous additives that contain solvents, pigments and binding resin as main components. Especially styrene-acrylic based binders have widespread use with their properties such as high resistance to water and high tolerance for pigment and fillers. As the paints are a common part of everyday life; their flame retardant, smoke suppressant and anti-bacterial specifications are required to be priorly considered. In this research, usage of zinc borate as a flame retardant, smoke suppressant and anti-bacterial additive was studied for water based paints. As the result of flame retardation experiments conducted with paints doped by anyhdrous zinc borate and hydrated crystalline zinc borate containing 3,5 moles of water, limiting oxygen index (LOI) value was found as 22,57% for non-additive (standard) paint, whereas this value was found as 25,57% for anyhdrous zinc borate doped paint. As a result of the studies; the smoke density value of non-additive (standard) paint is observed as 18,75%, whereas it dropped to 11,82% when 3,5 moles of hydrated cystalline zinc borate was added by 1%. Anti-bacterial activity of zinc borate doped paints on pathogenic bacteria was investigated and the paints have shown no resistance to E. coli species. However, doped paints were observed to resist S. aureus; maximum resistance were shown by 3% anyhdrous zinc borate doped paint with 17 mm inhibit. In order to investigate the effects of zinc borate on other specifications of paint; analyses on viscosity, brightness and color are conducted. The results of the test showed that zinc borate had no effect on these properties of the paint.