imported>MrOllie: Reverted 2 edits by 188.30.74.149 (talk): Rv latest cluttering of the lead section

2025-10-03T14:44:57Z

Reverted 2 edits by 188.30.74.149 (talk): Rv latest cluttering of the lead section

New page

{{Short description|Solvent used to dissolve paint}}

A '''paint thinner''' is a [[solvent]] used to dilute [[oil paint|oil-based paints]]<ref>[[The Chambers Dictionary]]</ref><ref>[[Collins English Dictionary]]</ref> or [[varnish]]. In this context, to dilute is also known as to 'thin'. Paint thinners are [[diluent]]s. Solvents labeled "paint thinner" are usually [[White spirit|white or mineral spirits]].

==Uses==

Principally, paints are either a [[colloidal suspension]] of solid [[pigment]] particles or are an [[emulsion]] of dense viscous [[dye]] gel or paste with a [[filler (materials)|filler]] all dispersed through a lighter free-flowing liquid medium — the solvent. This solvent also controls flow and application properties, and in some cases can affect the stability of the paint while in liquid state. Its main function is to act as the carrier to ensure an even spread of the non-volatile components. After a long period in storage, the dense paint pigment and filler settles out over time and it can lose some of its solvent due to evaporation, becoming so thick and viscous that it does not flow properly when used. By the addition of more solvent, it can be diluted or re-dissolved to restore the paint to an appropriate consistency for use. The diluent acts to reduce the [[viscosity]] and so making a more free-flowing liquid, so in this context, "thinning" is the act of dilution.

These solvents can also be used as paint-brush cleaners to remove or to clean items that have become caked in dried-on paint. With improvements in paint manufacturing have led to the reduction of use of organic solvents in preference for water, means that paint clean-up can be done with water and common [[surfactants]] and [[detergents]].

==Common paint thinners==

[[File:"YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS FLAX, AND WILL PAY WELL FOR IT." - NARA - 516250.jpg|thumb|"Your country needs flax .." US World War II poster soliciting the public for linseed oil for use in paint.]]
[[File:Fransk Linolja - 2021.jpg|thumb|A can of French linseed oil —
it is used as a carrier in media like [[oil paint]] and [[varnish]] making them more fluid, glossy, and transparent.]]

Common organic solvents used historically as paint thinners are [[volatile organic compounds]] — forms of [[hydrocarbons]] — and include:<ref>{{cite web |date=10 October 2021 |title=How To Thin Paint For Sprayer? |url=https://holapaints.com/how-to-thin-paint-for-sprayer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021215127/https://holapaints.com/how-to-thin-paint-for-sprayer/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 21, 2021}}</ref>
*[[White spirit]] — also called mineral spirits
*[[Acetone]] — a very simple ketone, often called [[nail varnish|nail varnish remover]]
*[[Butanone]] / methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)
*[[Dimethylformamide]] (DMF)
*[[Glycol ethers]] — such as [[2-Butoxyethanol]]
*[[Alcohols]] — such as [[isopropyl alcohol]] / isopropanol and [[1-propanol]]
*[[Naphtha|Light naphtha distillates]]
*[[Turpentine]]
*[[Linseed oil]]
*[[Lacquer thinner]] — a combination of [[alcohols]], [[esters|alkyl esters]], [[ethers]], [[ketones]], and [[aromatic hydrocarbons]] / arenes

Less common organic solvents used as paint thinner — like [[aromatic hydrocarbon|aromatic organic compounds]] that are more hazardous, so more heavily regulated and restricted in use — but still used in the [[construction industry]] include:<ref>[[Health and Safety Executive]] "Solvents", Construction Information Sheet No 27 (revision 2), [https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis27.pdf]</ref>
*[[Aromatic hydrocarbons]] / arenes
**[[Ethylbenzene]]
**[[Toluene]] / toluol
**[[Xylene]] / xylol
*Alkyl esters
**[[Amyl acetate]]
**[[Butyl acetate|''n''-Butyl acetate]]
*[[n-Butanol|Butanol]]

Inorganic solvents used as paint thinner:
*[[Water]] — the universal solvent is a paint thinner, technically, but rarely called so

{{Pollution sidebar|Air|Water}}

==Hazards and health concerns==

These organic solvents are [[volatile organic compounds]] (VOCs) and some paint thinners can ignite from just a small spark in relatively low temperatures, with white or mineral spirits having a very low [[flash point]] at about 40°C (104°F), the same as some popular brands of charcoal starter. All such solvents with low flash points are hazardous and must be labelled as [[flammable]].
<ref>{{Cite book |title=Material Safety Data Sheet |publisher=HOC Industries, Inc. |year=2003 |edition=Revised |location=Wichita, KS |pages=1}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is Paint Thinner Flammable? |url=https://firefighterinsider.com/paint-thinner-flammable-flashpoint/ |access-date=2022-07-26 |language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref>[[Health and Safety Executive]] "[https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/hazardous-substances/solvents.htm Construction hazardous substances: Solvents]"</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web |title=Labelling and packaging - Chemical classification |url=https://www.hse.gov.uk/chemical-classification/labelling-packaging/index.htm |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=www.hse.gov.uk}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hazard symbols and hazard pictograms - Chemical classification |url=https://www.hse.gov.uk/chemical-classification/labelling-packaging/hazard-symbols-hazard-pictograms.htm |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=www.hse.gov.uk}}</ref>

Prolonged exposure to VOCs emitted by paint containing these solvents or its clean-up using paint thinner are hazardous to health. VOCs exhibit high [[Lipophilicity|lipid solubility]] and for this reason, they [[bioaccumulation|bioaccumulate]] in [[adipose]] / fatty tissues.
<ref name="Wania, F. 1996">{{cite journal | author = Wania F., Mackay D. | year = 1996 | title = Tracking the Distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants | journal = Environmental Science & Technology | volume = 30 | issue = 9| pages = 390A–396A | doi = 10.1021/es962399q | pmid = 21649427 }}</ref>
Extensive exposure to these vapours has been strongly related to [[Chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy|organic solvent syndrome]], although a definitive relation has yet to be fully established.
<ref>{{Cite journal |pmc = 1472097|year = 2006|author1 = SPURGEON A|title = Watching Paint Dry: Organic Solvent Syndrome in late-Twentieth-Century Britain|journal = Medical History|volume = 50|issue = 2|pages = 167–188|pmid = 16711296|doi=10.1017/s002572730000973x}}</ref>
For safety reasons, the use of substances containing these solvents should always be done in well-ventilated areas, to limit the health consequences and minimise the risk of injuries or fatalities.<ref>Working with substances hazardous to health: A brief guide to COSHH https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg136.pdf</ref> In countries with poor environmental protection regulation, workers commonly experience a high exposure to these chemicals with consequent damage to their health.
<ref>"Internal emails reveal how the chemical lobby fights regulation", [[The Guardian]] [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/22/internal-emails-reveal-how-the-chemical-lobby-fights-regulation]</ref>

The [[American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists]] has established [[threshold limit value]]s (TLVs) for most of these compounds. The TLV is defined as the maximum concentration in air which can be breathed by a normal person — i.e. excluding children, pregnant women, etc. — in the course of a typical American [[work week]] of 40 hours, day-after-day through their work life without long-term ill effects. Globally, the most widely accepted standard for acceptable levels of VOC in paint is [https://greenseal.org/standards/gs-11-paints-coatings-stains-and-sealers/ Green Seal's GS-11 Standards] from the US which defines different VOC levels acceptable for different types of paint based on use case and performance requirements.
<ref>{{Cite web|title=South Korea expands VOC controls and tightens limits in paint|url=https://chemicalwatch.com/80009/south-korea-expands-voc-controls-and-tightens-limits-in-paint|access-date=2021-03-27|website=chemicalwatch.com}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web|title=Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Consumer Products Regulations|url=https://www.chemsafetypro.com/Topics/VOC/What_Are_Volatile_Organic_Compounds_(VOC)_and_Overview_of_Global_VOC_Regulations.html|access-date=2021-03-27|website=www.chemsafetypro.com}}</ref>

Disposal of organic solvents used as paint thinners have been regulated across the European Union and in most developed countries to restrict this and making illegal the deliberate or accidental release into wastewater via the sewage system, forbidding pouring these down the drain. It is possible to recycle these solvents and the paint through specific recovery mechanisms available at waste management and recycling centers. Due to their hazardous nature and environmental threat of damaging pollution — [[persistent organic pollutants]] from aromatic organic compounds that are resistant to degradation are often found in wastewater with poor handling and disposal resulting in them seeping into groundwater, contaminating public water supplies
<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Huang |first1=Andrew C. |last2=Nelson |first2=Cait |last3=Elliott |first3=John E. |last4=Guertin |first4=Daniel A. |last5=Ritland |first5=Carol |last6=Drouillard |first6=Ken |last7=Cheng |first7=Kimberly M. |last8=Schwantje |first8=Helen M. |date=2018-07-01 |title=River otters (Lontra canadensis) "trapped" in a coastal environment contaminated with persistent organic pollutants: Demographic and physiological consequences |journal=Environmental Pollution |volume=238 |pages=306–316 |doi=10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.035 |pmid=29573713 |bibcode=2018EPoll.238..306H |issn=0269-7491|doi-access=free }}</ref>
<ref name="ritter">{{cite web|title=Persistent organic pollutants|author=Ritter L|author2=Solomon KR|author3=Forget J|author4=Stemeroff M|author5=O'Leary C.|url=http://www.chem.unep.ch/pops/ritter/en/ritteren.pdf|publisher=[[United Nations Environment Programme]]|access-date=2007-09-16|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926101350/http://www.chem.unep.ch/pops/ritter/en/ritteren.pdf|archive-date=2007-09-26}}</ref>
— so in recent decades, laws from legislatures like the [[European Parliament]] in [[EU regulations]] have extensively reduced the usage of these VOC solvents in favour of [[water-based paint]]s — that is, using ones like [[acrylic paint]]s that have been reformulated to be made with water as the primary solvent, with only low levels of hydrocarbon solvents, if any — which perform in a very similar way as oil paints, but also are much less polluting, so have a much lower environmental impact.
<ref>[[Health and Safety Executive]] "Paint and coatings" [https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/faq-paint.htm]</ref>

===Addiction===
Paint thinners are often used as an [[inhalant]], due to its accessibility and legality as a drug. Many teenagers become addicted to thinner and due to lack of knowledge, parents and caregivers do not notice it or give it much attention. By using paint thinner a person could experience hallucinations, sensitive hearing (for the first time), speech deformation, memory loss, etc.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Paint Thinner Addiction Treatment: Addiction Signs, Causes, And Withdrawal Symptoms |url=https://www.lybrate.com/topic/treatment-for-paint-thinner-addiction |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=Lybrate |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col}}
*{{annotated link|Lacquer thinner}}
*{{annotated link|Environmental impact of paint}}
*{{annotated link|Persistent organic pollutant}}
*{{annotated link|Substance-induced psychosis}}
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Pollution}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Solvents]]
[[Category:Paints]]

Paint thinner - Revision history

imported>MrOllie: Reverted 2 edits by 188.30.74.149 (talk): Rv latest cluttering of the lead section