The Swelling of Artists' Paints in Organic Solvents. Part 2, Comparative Swelling Powers of Selected Organic Solvents and Solvent Mixtures

Abstract

This article describes the swelling responses of two oil paint films as a consequence of immersion in solvents of various kinds. The two test paint films have the same original formulation and are based on proprietary artist's oil colors containing yellow ocher and flake white pigment bound in linseed oil: one was aged by exposure to high light dosage, and the other was unexposed. Lateral, inplane swelling of the paint films during immersion in solvent was determined by a simple microscopical method using computer-based image analysis. Results are reported for the swelling of both paint films in more than 55 common solvents and 14 binary solvent mixtures containing ethanol. Data are presented as swelling curves of percentage change in area as a function of time and as plots of degree of maximal swelling as a function of selected solvency indicators. The results are discussed in comparison with existing data on the swelling of oil films by organic solvents and in relation to the implications for the cleaning of oil-based paints.