Acid rain effects on the exterior durability of architectural coatings on wood

Acid rain is an important consequence of pollutants generated by modern industrial societies and is known to cause damage to ecological systems, construction materials and cultural artifacts. The assessment of the damage caused to paint films has included laboratory, exposure chamber, and exterior weathering experiments. This study uses visual assessment of paints applied directly to southern yellow pine and exposed at 30° south to either natural acid rain or deionized water spray sites in North Carolina and Ohio to determine damage by acid rain. An acrylic latex paint with a pigment volume concentration (PVC) of 52 and a volume solids (VS) of 35% was formulated with calcium carbonate or sodium potassium alumino-silicate extenders. This high PVC paint formulation is one known to stress the binding capacity of the latex and thus produce early grain cracking failures over bare wood. Major effects observed include severe yellowing and increased mildewing of the carbonate containing paints exposed to acid rain. While acid rain can damage exterior paints, much of the damage can be minimized by careful selection of the polymers and pigments used in the formulation.