Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture to objects. The binder, commonly called the vehicle, is the film-forming component of paint. It is the only component that must be present. Components listed below are included optionally, depending on the desired properties of the cured film. Binders include synthetic or natural resins such as alkyds, acrylics, vinyl-acrylics, vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE), polyurethanes, polyesters, melamine resins, epoxy, or oils. Binders can be categorized according to the mechanisms for drying or curing. Paints that dry by solvent evaporation and contain the solid binder dissolved in a solvent are known as lacquers. The term "latex" in the context of paint in the USA simply means an aqueous dispersion; latex rubber from the rubber tree is not an ingredient. Here are paints called plastisols/organ sols, which are made by blending PVC granules with a plasticizer. These are stoved and the mix coalesces.

The main purposes of the diluent are to dissolve the polymer and adjust the viscosity of the paint. It is volatile and does not become part of the paint film. It also controls flow and application properties, and in some cases can affect the stability of the paint while in liquid state.

Types of paint are-

Oil paint,varnishes, enamel, latex paint, water-reducible paint, alkyds, epoxy, polyester- epoxy, shellac, aluminium paint, urethane-modified alkyds, acrylic-urethane coatings, polyamide-epoxy.

Enamel paint is paint that air dries to a hard, usually glossy, finish, used for coating surfaces that are outdoors or otherwise subject to hard ware or variations in temperature; it should not be confused with decorated objects in "painted enamel". Typically the term "enamel paint" is used to describe oil-based covering products, usually with a significant amount of gloss in them, however recently many latex or water-based paints have adopted the term as well.

Categories of enamel paint are-

Floor enamel, fast dry enamel, high-temp enamel, model building.

Paints and enamel industry is gaining ground at a rapid pace in modern time accompanied with closed advance in surface coating technology. They are formulated for specific purposes: outside house paints and exterior varnishes are intended to give good service when exposed to weathering; interior wall paints are formulated to give excellent coverage.

The Rs 40,600-crore Indian paint industry is likely to see a 20 per cent compounded annual growth rate until 2016, the industry will reach the level of Rs 62,000 crore in the next two years, The rural market grew 20 per cent in 2013-14. Rural India’s incremental consumption expenditure is growing well. The unorganized sector has around 35 per cent of the paint market. In the unorganized segment, there are about 2,500 units. Major segments in decoratives include exterior wall paints, interior wall paints, wood finishes and enamel and ancillary products such as primers, putties etc. Decorative paints account for over 77% of the overall paint market in India. The paint industry is expected to grow at 12-13% annually over the next five years from Rs 280 bn in FY13 to around Rs 500 bn by FY18.

Further information:

Handbook on Paints and Enamels describes the detailed information on the subject. The major contents of this book are- exterior paints, exterior white paints, exterior tinted enamels, interior flat white paints and enamels, metal paints, specialty p-paints, masonry paints, interior low cost flat white paints, enamels, interior paints, varnishes, lacquers and wood finishes, interior gloss with enamel, primers, interior semi-gloss enamels etc.            

In order to get “Handbook on Paints and Enamels” please visit- http://www.niir.org/books/book/handbook-on-paints-enamels/isbn-9788178331164/zb,,165,a,0,0,a/index.html