Natural Color System (NCS) June 28, 2008
Posted by admin in : Colour Chart , 2commentsI get countless enquiries on colours. Last week, there was a search on this site for the colour S2060-R20B. Let me use this opportunity to explain this particular colour notation and the colour system it originates from.
I’ve mentioned in the past the BS or British Standards colour system and the RAL colour system from Germany (see post). Now, I would like to introduce another widely used colour system - the Natural Color System or NCS. NCS is developed by the Scandinavian Colour Institute AB (www.ncscolour.com). There are 1750 colours in the current NCS Index Edition 2.
Like the BS and the RAL systems, NCS is developed for the ease and efficient communication of colours. This simple statement understates the importance of such a colour system. It is an almost indispensable tool of communication. For example, if you need to specify a colour for a product made half way round the world, naming conventions like ‘Grass Green’ or ‘Sky Blue’ would not do. Grass may be greener on the other side (pun intended) and sky may not be blue in some places. Besides, there are thousands of shades of blue or green. Ambiguity in such conventions can lead to complaints, loss of confidence and even litigations. Colour systems allow for the use of a set of alpha-numerics to communicate colours. All uncertainties removed.
A bit more background to the NCS. The 2nd Edition of NCS was launched in 1995, based on 60 years of research by the Scandinavian Colour Institute AB. Unlike the BS and the RAL systems, the NCS colour notation is self-explanatory. Lets go into its notation, using S2060-R20B as an example :
This is how it works:
The NCS notation is based on the similarity between the colour in question and the 6 elementary colours - Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Black and White. The 1st letter ‘S’ denotes the use of the 2nd edition. The next 4 letters indicates nuances. In this case, ‘20′ indicates the colours resemblance to black and ‘60′ indicates its degree of chromaticness. ‘2060′ therefore tells us that this colour has 20% ‘blackness’ and 60% ‘chromaticness’.
The next 4 alphanumeric describes the colour’s hue - how it resembles the 2 elementary colours shown by the 2 letters. In this case, ‘R20B’ means the colour has 20% ‘blueness’ and 80% ‘redness’.
Pure greys do not have hue and is notated by its nuances and a letter ‘N’. White is ‘S0500-N’, while black is ‘S9000-N’. ‘S1000-N’, ‘S1500-N’ and ‘S2000-N’ are gradations of pure grey.
Currently, in paint products, Jotun utilises NCS in its tinting machines. In the past, ICI Colour Dimension also made use of NCS. But a number of years ago, ICI switched to the Master Palette Color System. The notation is different, eg.
50YY 77/285
From my internet search, I found a great site that provides an online viewer of NCS colours. The site is created by Robert Karlsson of i2 Studios. It lets you key in the NCS colour notation and shows you onscreen the colour entered. Do note that all colours produced online will vary according to the colour settings of your display unit, and serves only as a guide. Go to:
Hope the above article helps you understand a bit more about this particular colour system.
Please feel free to leave your questions or comments by clicking here.
Jotun Epoxy Paint (Penguard Topcoat) June 19, 2008
Posted by admin in : Marine Paints, Recommendations , 1 comment so farI’ve been asked on many occasions to recommend good epoxy paints for concrete floors. I can name a few from past projects, such as Ameron’s
Amerlock 400, Berger,s Epilux 218 and Nippon’s Copon EA4. I have added another to my range. I do that when a product solves a problem I have. For Amerlock, it was its surface-tolerance. For Epilux 218, it was its sheen. For Copon EA4, it was its stock availability. Jotun Penguard Topcoat qualifies for its performance and colour. I’ve seen completed projects and results are usually quite good. Also, most colours in the RAL range, the BS range and the NCS range can be produced. For the uninitiated, that’s easily a thousand colours.
Jotun Penguard is a two-pack epoxy topcoat based on a polyamide-cured epoxy resin. In other words, it is an epoxy base with a polyamide curing agent. Epoxies are heavy-duty coatings and are much more lasting than conventional coatings such as alkyd paints. When fully cured, which takes about 3 days for this product at 35 degress Celsius, it is very hard and tough. It is resistant to water, chemicals, oils and many types of solvents.
Some Technical Details
Penguard has a volume solid of 50%, DFT of 50 microns when dry and 100 microns when wet, a theoretical coverage of 10sq m per litre, dries in 4 hours at 35 degrees Celsius and can be re-coated after 3 hours. Like I mentioned earlier, it only becomes fully cured after 3 days. Pot life is 8 hours at 23 degrees. I suppose it gets reduced to about 1 - 2 hours at 35 degrees. It is a good practice to always do the mixing of any 2-pack products in a very cool place so as to prolong the pot life. Remember never to mix more than you can paint on. Once mixed, 2-pack products cannot be kept longer than the pot life.
Priming
On concrete flooring, besides the standard surface preparation, I would recommend priming with Jotun Penguard Primer. The primer is white in colour and can be top-coated in 2 hours (assuming 35 degress Celsius and good ventilation).
Colours
Penguard Topcoat is available in its standard 40 colours (see colour card here), and can also be tinted to over a thousand colours from the BS, RAL or the NCS range. Some colours, especially the dark ones, cannot be reproduced. So, please check first. Price Depending on whether it is a standard colour or a premium colour, the price ranges from $60 - $80 per 5-litre set (this consists of a 4-litre base and a 1-litre curing agent)
Let us talk about Natural Color System or NCS next time we meet….
Searches On This Site June 18, 2008
Posted by admin in : Colour Chart, Painting Tips , 4commentsFirst of all, my appreciation to all who visit my humble piece of online real estate. Thanks also to all who leave their comments. This post is just to go over some of the searches that visitors have made on this site (in the red search box on the right). Below is a list of recent search keywords: - colour chart - paint for wooden doors - 2060-r20b - aluminium wood primer - jotun color card - cutting in - khaki - 21237 - metal paint - bs 0.012 - EMZ445 - 3145 There are many queries on colours and colour charts. I will scan and put more in the near future. Along this line, there are also many searches with
colour codes such as the few you see in the list above. The search will usually come up blank because I have never listed the complete range of colour codes in any of my post. There has to be hundreds of thousands of colour codes in existence and listing them is not practical. The easiest way I can help is for you to drop a comment if you don’t mind sharing your question with everyone else, or, send me an email if you do mind. Being in the paint industry for so many years, I’ve come across my fair share of colour codes and coding format. Even if I am unable to help, I may be able to point you in the right direction. While we are at it, lets clear some of the colour codes listed above. - 2060-r20b is a NCS (Natural Colour System) colour. The exact colour is available in the NCS colour fanbook. If you need to know the BS (British Standard) or RAL equivalent, drop me a line and I will do a manual match. - 21237 is a ICI Dulux Weathershield colour code. See here. Go to page 12 of the ICI Colour Chart. - bs 0.012 is a BS (British Standard) colour and if memory serves, the colour is dark blue. Contact me if you need more. -3145 is Lilac Frost from Nippon 3-in-1 Medifresh range See here. Go to page 7 of the reader or page 5 of the catalogue, and you should see the colour near the bottom of the page. - EMZ445 is definitely a International Paint product code. I would need to call them to find out more. Thanks for visiting. If there is something you would like me to write about, feel free state the topic in the comment. In the next post, we’ll talk about Jotun Penguard Epoxy Paint.
Fluorescent paint vs Luminous paint June 1, 2008
Posted by admin in : Marine Paints, Painting Tips , 5commentsThere is a general misunderstanding with the terms fluorescent paint (not to mention the common misspelling of the word) and luminous paint. Most people when asking for or referring to luminous paint actually mean paint that glow in the dark. Fluorescent paint does not glow in the dark. It requires light to glow. Paint that glow in the dark are actually phosphorescent paint. Let me offer my view of the terminology. Luminous paint is a grouping of paint that basically "glow", regardless whether they do it in the light or in the dark or by themselves. Within this group of paint are the fluorescent paint (glow-in-the-light), the phosphorescent paint (glow-in-the-dark), and the radioluminescent paint (radioactive, self-glowing). Fluorescent paints are widely used in industries for purpose of marking. In some countries, these are also known as UV Fluorescent Paint or Blacklight Paint. Under UV or blacklight, the sensitive pigments embedded in the fluorescent paint absorbs the UV light and emits off visible light, thus causing the "glow". This paint is available in 1-litre and 5-litre pack sizes and comes in a handful of colours, the most common of which are yellow, green, orange and red. In my line, I’ve seen practical applications in road-marking, in safety signages, and in marine buoy markings. Fluorescent paint can either be water-based or solvent-based. Phosphorescent paints are also used for markings and signages. However, one increasingly popular application is in novelty items. Toys and wall-coverings coated with the paint or have materials mixed with phosphorescent powder make very eye-catching gift items. Have you come across soft rubber cut-outs of shapes of planets and stars glued on ceilings of children’s room? They glow when the lights are off and give children their first taste of star-gazing. These are materials that contain phosphorescent pigments such as zinc sulfide or strontium. Though these pigments or paints glow in the dark, they actually have to be "charged" with light. The pigments in the paint absorbs the light and when the lights are off, slowly emits light. Phosphorescent paint are not easily available locally. I used to have a few cans in stock but they had rather limited shelf-life. They hardened after about 6 months even though they were not opened. They were promptly discarded. Radioluminescent paints were used in the past on clocks, watches, compass, toys, fish baits, weapon aiming site etc. Due to its radioactivity, its application is presently rather limited. I have not come across radioluminescent paint in Singapore. I’m also not aware if this stuff can be brought in in your usual Fedex packing. Certain certification would probably be required. Of the 3 types of luminous paint, the most common here must be blacklight paint or fluorescent paint. However, the fluorescent product we are most familiar with is not the paint, but the pen - the common highlighter!
Heat Resistant Paint February 18, 2008
Posted by admin in : Marine Paints, Recommendations , 4commentsIn the week before my long holiday, I received 4 enquiries for heat resistant paints. 2 of the enquires are from the marine industry, 1 from offshore, and the last is a motor-cycle enthusiast. Of the 4, only the motor-cycle enthusiast had requirements for more colours. Unfortunately, colours are quite limited for heat resistant paint. The colours generally available are silver/ aluminium (most common), black and red.
Heat resistant paint can come in normal paint cans as well as in aerosol spray cans. Hobbyist generally prefer the latter but a can of 300cc - 400cc does not cover much area for industrial usage. Heat resistance can range from as low as 180 degree Celsius (356 degree Fahrenheit) to as high as 600 degree Celsius (1112 degree Fahrenheit). (online conversion resource : www.onlineconversion.com/temperature.htm) One product popular with some of my customers in Brunei and Indonesia is "Red Hot Aluminium Paint".
Red Hot Aluminium Paint is a product of Sheffield Bronze Paint Corp from Ohio, USA. It is available, as the name suggests, only in aluminium colour. As for its heat resistance, it boasts ability to withstand 1600 degree Fahrenheit (871 degree Celsius), much higher than most others. While I’ve not tested its ability to withstand that kind of heat, feedbacks from customers have been positive. Also, I’ve several repeat sales to a few of my export customers. Only gripe is its pack size of 1 US Gallon, which is too small for bigger projects. Currently retails for SGD$65.00.
