Drying times Power Coat 3 in 1
Power Coat 3 in 1 is a special paint and has a drying mechanism that can be difficult to understand.
Temperature has little effect on drying time. There is little difference in drying in temperature ranges from 5–20°C, but temperatures above 35–40°C will slow it down, although this may seem counterintuitive. What is crucial is the air supply. Outside with wind in the air, PC 3 in 1 dries quickly. Two test panels with the same paint thickness and at the same ambient temperature will dry faster outdoors when it is windy than indoors.
The advantage of 3 in 1 is that it is touch-dry very quickly, and constructions that are not to be processed or transported can harden over time.
To achieve the fastest curing time in a 3-coat build-up with Power Coat 3 in 1, it is advisable to wait three days between coats. This allows each coat to cure and the solvents to escape. Of course, few people have time for this, but a longer time between coats in a 2- or 3-coat build-up is definitely recommended.
To speed up the curing time in a 3-coat application, the alternative is to use Nitrofest/Adhesion Primer as the first coat and add Hardening Accelerator 3 in 1 (Hardening Accelerator must not be used in the first coat.) When using Hardening Accelerator, the air temperature must be above 15°C during application for it to be effective.
Power Coat 3 in 1 is
• touch dry after 30 minutes
• can be painted over after 90 minutes
• dry to use after 120 minutes
• fully cured after 3 days
VOC = Volatile Organic Compounds
VOC emissions are typical emissions from paint. These emissions are well documented, with information on quantity (PC 3 in 1: 390 g/ltr) and type of components.
Power Coat 3 in 1 uses a mixture of solvents that evaporate relatively quickly and also have high solubility. At normal film thickness, over 50% of the solvent will have evaporated after 30 minutes, over 90% after 2 hours and over 99% after 8 hours. Of course, in practice this will also depend on temperature, air flow, etc., and it will take longer with increased film thickness.
The major topic of discussion at the moment is emissions in buildings/rooms/offices, including due to carpets, carpet adhesives, 2-component furniture paints, some types of wall paints without VOCs, some water-based varnish and stain products, some types of plastic materials (plasticizers), etc.
Even solvent-free 2-component paints can have critical emissions from hardeners; too much hardener may have been used, it may be a hardener that is to be activated by heat, but not high enough heat has been used, or it may be a hardener that is activated by UV light, but there has not been sufficient UV radiation, etc. Emissions from hardeners are far more dangerous than emissions from common solvents.
Some water-based paints have solvents that dissolve very slowly (which is VOC-free according to some regulations) – these evaporate for weeks and months after the paint is applied. The manufacturer of Power Coat 3 in 1 has decided that it is far better to have a noticeable smell during application (and for a short time afterwards), compared to having a faint smell over a long period of time.
