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The W Importance of Using the Manufacturer's Recommended Thinner hat is wrong with using just any solvent off the shelf to thin the coating to be applied to a structure? Aren't all solvents similar and basically used for the same purpose? The simple answer to that question is no. Every solvent has unique chemical properties that have specifc effects on the coatings they are designed to be used with. Different solvents have different levels of solvency power, rates of evaporation, and levels of attraction to resins and other solvents. Understanding these different solvent properties and utilizing that knowledge can make the difference between having either a positive or negative outcome on a coating project. This article is not written with the detail that may be given from a formulator's viewpoint, but rather from the vantage point of providing some basic knowledge about solvents that are being utilized in the industry today. Typical Solvents Including water, there are 10 unique solvent types that typically make up the list of solvents used in the formulation or Dan Savage, Tnemec Co., Inc., Kansas City, Missouri thinning of coatings. With the exception of water, those unique solvent types fall under two categories: Tere are times when it is tempting to use whatever thinner a contractor may have on hand rather than using the recommended solvent to thin a coating. Tis article explores some of the reasons why it is to the user's advantage to resist that temptation. Hydrocarbon-Based Solvents • Aliphatic hydrocarbon: examples include VM&P; naphtha and mineral spirits • Aromatic hydrocarbon: examples include toluene and xylene • Chlorinated hydrocarbon: examples include methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) and methyl chloroform • Terpenes: examples include turpentine and pine oil • Nitroparrafins: examples include 2-nitropropane and nitromethane (CH3NO2) Oxygenated Solvents • Ketones: examples include methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and acetone 44 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE May 2013 NACE International, Vol. 52, No. 5