Sources of bubbles, foam, and voids in coatings

Bubbles in an applied coating's matrix originate from from a number of sour ces. "Nucleation" of its solvent system is not one of them. These bubbles e ssentially always stem from a "phase transition" to yield a "gas-blowing ag ent," as a gas that comes out of solution or a chemical reaction that gener ates a gas. This article examines some of the sources and their significanc e to the cured coating. While usually not a significant problem, as their c oncentration increases, the impact resistance of the coating decreases. The y do not fill with water.