The basic materials in paint are:

• binder
• pigment
• solvent
• functional additives

The binder, also called the resin, polymer, vehicle, etc. is the material that forms a continuous film and adheres the paint together and to a surface. It also imparts properties like durability, toughness, dry time, chemical resistance, etc.

The pigments are the coloring and filling materials. These are generally non or low reactivity inorganic and organic materials with some exceptions such as reactive pigments that impart special properties.

The solvents are the volatile thinners or diluents that evaporate and, in part, control viscosity or the thickness of the coating. The type of solvent or solvent blend can affect drying and appearance properties of a paint.

With these are various chemical additives that are used to impart certain properties to the paint, including drier catalysts, flow control agents, thickeners, dispersants, adhesion promoters, UV inhibitors, fungicides, and surface active agents (surfactants).

As shown in figure(1) and Diagram(1), a pigmented paint may be divided into two main components: the pigment portion and the vehicle (binder) portion; the vehicle may be sub-divided into the volatile components (solvent and/or water) that evaporate when the coating cures, and the non-volatile materials that remain behind as the paint film.

Diagram (1)