There are nanotechnology-based materials that can be used as antimicrobial additives in different applications such as water-borne paints. Antimicrobial paints are important tool in order to avoid indoor biological colonization and therefore prevent paint bio-deterioration and health problems in people and pets. These paints would have application in kitchens, bathrooms and hospitals. The present study evaluated the incorporation of silver (of two different sizes), copper and zinc oxide nanoparticles in indoor waterborne paints and the bio-resistance imparted by them. The antifungal activity of nanoparticles is a less studied topic in relation to the antibacterial activity but is no less important from the environmental point of view. Molds that grow in indoor environments contribute significantly with bioaerosol formation and therefore on air contamination and human health deterioration. In this sense, this research evaluated the nanoparticles' antifungal activity using previously isolated fungi, Chaetomium globosum and Alternaria alternata, on solid medium. Then, the bio-resistance of acrylic paints, with nanoparticles incorporated, was evaluated in Petri dishes and observations were made using scanning electron microscopy. The better results were obtained with the paint that contained silver with the smaller size (10 nm).

Microbial growth in indoor environments creates health problems, especially in people with asthma; approximately 80% of these patients are allergic to mold. Antimicrobial coatings are formulated to generate surfaces that are easy to clean and may also incorporate active agents, commonly called biocides, which inhibit microbial colonization, subsequent growth and bio-deterioration of the substrates. Some research lines seek to replace traditional organometallic and organochlorines biocides with environmentally acceptable ones. The aim of this research was, primarily, to explore the possible application of different compounds used in food industry like preservatives to be used as antimicrobial additives for antimicrobial coatings. Four biocides were tested against two different ambient molds isolated from an interior painted wall (Chaetomium globosum and Alternaria alternate). The selected biocides were zinc salicylate, zinc benzoate, calcium benzoate and potassium sorbate. The resulting paints were subjected to biological and physical tests (viscosity, hiding power, humidity absorption and biocides leaching rate). Bioassays revealed that zinc benzoate and zinc salicylate resulted active against both fungi.

During the past decade, the necessity of new ecofriendly antifouling pigments was established. Among these new pigments, special attention should be paid to tannin and its derivatives. Tannins are synthesized by plants as part of their defense mechanism against the attack of pathogens. The objective of this work was to study the antifouling efficiency of paints containing zinc "tannate" in artificial seawater. The zinc "tannate" was precipitated at pH 4 and pH 8. Insoluble and soluble matrix antifouling paints, with different plasticizers, were formulated and tannins leached from the paints immersed in artificial seawater were determined by the Folin-Denis assay for polyphenols. The antifouling action of paints was assessed in a natural seawater environment. The results showed that the leaching rate of tannin from insoluble matrix paint decreases, reaching a constant value after 25 days of immersion. In the case of the soluble matrix paints, a lesser amount of tannin was leached, depending on the tannin and the plasticizer employed. The results in a natural sea environment are dependent on the matrix and the plasticizer employed.

Fungi grow especially in dark and moist areas, deteriorating the indoor environment and causing infections that particularly affect immunosuppressed individuals. Antimicrobial coatings have as principal objective to prevent biofilm formation and infections by incorporation of bioactive additives. In this sense, metallic nanoparticles, such as silver, have proven to be active against different microorganisms specially bacteria. Biosynthesized method is a promising environmentally friendly option to obtain nanoparticles. The aim of this research was assess the employment of plants extracts of Aloysia triphylla (cedrón), Laurelia sempervirens (laurel) and Ruta chalepensis (ruda) to obtain silver nanoparticles to be used as an antimicrobial additive to a waterborne coating formulation. The products obtained were assessed against fungal isolates from biodeteriorated indoor coatings. The fungi were identified by conventional and molecular techniques as Chaetomium globosum and Alternaria alternate. The results revealed that the coating with silver nanoparticles obtained with L. sempervirens extract at 60 °C with a size of 9.8 nm was the most efficient against fungal biofilm development.

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The performance of different replacements for chromates was studied. The anticorrosive properties of seven phosphate-based pigments, a calcium-exchange silica and a ferrite were assessed by electrochemical techniques and formulating solvent-borne paints with epoxy and alkyd resins. Paints contained 30% by volume of anticorrosive pigment, with respect to the total pigment content. The anticorrosive performance of paints was evaluated by accelerated tests (salt spray chamber) and electrochemical essays (corrosion potential and ionic resistance). Outdoor exposure tests were carried out in an urban-industrial environment during 8 years. The anticorrosive performance of the tested paints showed that there is not a clear relationship between the laboratory tests and the outdoors exposition and that none of them, by themselves can predict the behaviour of the paint under service. However, electrochemical essays with pigments may give an orientation about pigment performance in anticorrosive paints. As a general rule, if the pigment reduces notably steel corrosion rate and generates a rather high apparent polarization resistance a good anticorrosive performance may be expected.

Tannins are polyphenols synthesized by plants and useful for the coating industry as corrosion inhibitors. In addition, lanthanum salts have a great inhibitory effect on steel corrosion. The aim of this study was to obtain lanthanum ''tannate'' with adequate solubility to be incorporated as the corrosion inhibitor in a wash-primer. The ''tannate'' was obtained from commercial ''Quebracho'' tannin and 0.1 M La(NO 3 ) 3 . The soluble tannin was determined by the Folin-Denis reagent, while the concentration of Lanthanum was obtained by a gravimetric procedure. The protective action of ''tannate'' on SAE 1010 steel was evaluated by linear polarization curves and corrosion potential measurements. Lanthanum ''tannate'' was incorporated in a wash-primer formulation and tested by corrosion potential and ionic resistance measurements. The corrosion rate was also determined by the polarization resistance technique. Besides, the primer was incorporated in an alkyd paint system and its anticorrosion performance assessed in the salt spray cabinet and by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results showed that lanthanum ''tannate'' primer inhibits the development of deleterious iron oxyhydroxides on the steel substrate and incorporated into a paint system had a similar behavior to the primer formulated with zinc tetroxychromate.

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the performance of a modified zeolite as an anticorrosive pigment for paints. A procedure to prepare the pigment was outlined and its anticorrosive properties assessed following the electrochemical behavior of a steel electrode in pigment suspension. In a second stage, alkyd paints were formulated employing different anticorrosive pigments: (1) 30% by volume (v/v) of the modified zeolitic rock, (2) 10% (v/v) of zinc phosphate, and (3) a mixture of 10% (v/v) zinc phosphate plus 20% (v/v) of the modified zeolitic rock. In every case, percentages were referred to the total pigment content. Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and barium sulfate were incorporated to complete the pigment formula. The pigment volume concentration/ critical pigment volume concentration (PVC/CPVC) ratio was 0.8. The performance of the resulting anticorrosive paints was assessed by accelerated (salt spray and humidity chambers) tests and electrochemical (corrosion potential, ionic resistance, and polarization resistance) essays. It was demonstrated that the modified zeolite is effective in protecting steel from corrosion when it is used in combination with zinc phosphate. There exists a synergism between the modified zeolite and zinc phosphate that allows the zinc phosphate content in anticorrosive paints to be reduced.