ISO 4618:2014

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 4618
NORME
Second edition
Deuxième édition
INTERNATIONALE 2014-10-15
Paints and varnishes — Terms and
definitions
Peintures et vernis — Termes et
définitions
Beschichtungsstoffe — Begriffe
Reference number
Numéro de référence
ISO 4618:2014(E/F)
©
ISO 2014

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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

Contents Page
Foreword .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Terms and definitions . 1
Annex A (informative) Alphabetical index .30
Bibliography .41
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of any
patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or on
the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical Barriers
to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information.
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 35, Paints and varnishes.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 4618:2006), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are listed below.
a) The following terms have been added: abrasion, aerosol, appearance, bubble, colour retention,
dispersion, effect pigment, emulsion, functional pigment, nanoaerosol, nanocoating, nanodispersion,
nanoemulsion, nanoextender, nanofilm, nano-object, nanopigment, nanoscale, nanostructured
coating, nanosuspension, nanotexture, non-volatile matter by volume, overcoatability, performance,
pourability (changed from flowability), reflow effect, rheopexy/rheopectic behaviour, rust back
(synonym for flash rust), rust bloom, scratch, scribe, shear-thickening flow behaviour/dilatant
flow behaviour, shear-thinning flow behaviour/pseudoplastic flow behaviour, surface structure,
suspension, texture, thixotropy/thixotropic behaviour, viscoelasticity, viscosity, yield point/yield
stress/yield value.
b) The following terms have been amended: adhesive strength, ageing, agglomerate, aggregate, airless
spraying, anti-foaming agent, anti-fouling paint, application rate, barrier coating material, bleeding,
binder, biocide, blistering (replaced by blister), blooming, brightness, chalking, coat, coating,
coating material, coating process, cohesion, colour, colouring material, consistency/body, corrosion,
cracking, cratering, crocodiling, crow’s foot cracking, defoaming agent, de-nibbing, dirt pick-up, dirt
retention, drying, durability, dyestuff, elasticity, etching, extender, feather edging, feeding, filler,
filling, film, film formation, flash point, flexibility, floating, flooding, flow, flow agent, hardness,
hiding power, holiday, hot spraying, hydrocarbon resin, impregnating material, in-can preservative,
lap, leafing, mar resistance (changed to mar), masking, metamerism, non-volatile matter, paint,
pigment, polymer dispersion, pot life, preparation grade, recoatability, resin, run, rust grade,
sag, sagging, sheen, shelf life, shop primer, stopper, synthetic resin, thixotropic agent/thixotrope,
varnish.
c) The following terms have been deleted: blast primer, chromating, emulsion paint/latex paint,
coverage (as synonym for hiding power), flowability (changed to pourability), hair cracking, opacity
(as synonym for hiding power), high solids, miss (as synonym for holiday).
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 4618:2014(E/F)
Paints and varnishes — Terms and definitions
1 Scope
This International Standard defines terms used in the field of coating materials (paints, varnishes and
raw materials for paints and varnishes).
Terms relating to specific applications and properties are dealt with in standards concerning those
applications and properties, e.g. corrosion protection, coating powders.
Terms on nanotechnologies are harmonized with ISO/TS 80004-4.
In addition to terms in English and French (two of the three official ISO languages), this International
Standard gives the equivalent terms in German; these are published under the responsibility of the
member body for Germany (DIN). However, only the terms and definitions given in the official languages
can be considered as ISO terms and definitions.
NOTE 1 Those terms that are defined elsewhere in this International Standard are shown in italics.
NOTE 2 See also the ISO online browsing platform (OBP): https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/
2 Terms and definitions
2.1
abrasion
process of wearing away or deformation of a surface by friction as a result of rubbing
2.2
abrasive blast-cleaning
impingement of a high-kinetic-energy stream of an abrasive on the surface to be prepared
2.3
accelerator
additive that increases the speed of chemical reactions
2.4
acid value
number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide (KOH) required to neutralize 1 g of a sample under
specified test conditions
2.5
acrylic resin
synthetic resin resulting from the polymerization or copolymerization of acrylic and/or methacrylic
monomers, frequently together with other monomers
2.6
additive
any substance, added in small quantities to a coating material, to improve or otherwise modify one or
more properties
2.7
adhesion
phenomenon of attachment at the interface between a solid surface and another material caused by
molecular forces
Note 1 to entry: Adhesion should not be confused with cohesion.
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

2.8
adhesive strength
force required to detach a coating from a substrate or another coating
2.9
aerosol
solid or liquid particles in dispersion in a gaseous medium
2.10
after tack
property of a film to remain sticky after normal drying or curing
2.11
ageing
change of one or more initial properties of a film during the passage of time
2.12
agglomerate
collection of weakly bound particles or aggregates or mixtures of the two where the resulting external
surface area is similar to the sum of the surface areas of the individual components
Note 1 to entry: The force applied to the aggregates/agglomerates during the paint making process can differ,
depending on the method used.
2.13
aggregate
particle comprising strongly bonded or fused particles where the resulting external surface area may be
significantly smaller than the sum of calculated surface areas of the individual components
Note 1 to entry: The force applied to the aggregates/agglomerates during the paint making process can differ,
depending on the method used.
2.14
airless spraying
process of application of coating material by forcing it through an orifice at high pressure without air
supply
2.15
alkyd resin
synthetic resin resulting from the polycondensation of fatty acids (or oils) and carbonic acids with polyols
2.16
amino resin
synthetic resin resulting from the condensation of urea or melamine or derivatives such as benzo-
guanamine with formaldehyde
Note 1 to entry: These resins are often etherified with alcohols.
2.17
anti-blocking agent
additive that usually rises to the surface during the drying process and thus prevents blocking
2.18
anti-foaming agent
additive that prevents foaming or reduces the foaming tendency of a coating material
Note 1 to entry: See also defoaming agent.
2.19
anti-fouling paint
coating material applied to the underwater sections of a ship’s hull or to other underwater structures to
discourage biological growth
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

2.20
anti-settling agent
additive that prevents or retards the settling of pigments and/or extenders during storage of a coating
material
2.21
anti-skinning agent
additive that prevents or retards skinning caused by oxidation during storage
2.22
apparent density
ratio of mass to volume of an untamped powder
Note 1 to entry: See also bulk density and tamped density.
2.23
appearance
visual characteristics of a surface
Note 1 to entry: This includes colour, gloss, distinctness of image (DOI), haze, surface structure, texture, orange
peel, etc.
Note 2 to entry: The word appearance has no special paint related meaning in English but is included here for
clarification for non-English speakers.
2.24
application rate
quantity of a coating material that is required to produce, under defined working conditions, a dry film
or coat of given thickness on unit area
2 2
Note 1 to entry: It is expressed in l/m or kg/m .
Note 2 to entry: See also spreading rate.
2.25
barrier coating material
coating material used to isolate a coating system from the substrate to which it is applied, in order to
prevent chemical or physical interaction, e.g. to prevent bleeding or migration from an underlying coat
or substrate
Note 1 to entry: The German term “Isoliermittel” which is still currently used should be avoided, in order to
prevent confusion with heat- and sound-deadening materials as well as with electrical insulators.
2.26
binder
non-volatile part of a medium
2.27
biocide
additive added to a coating material to prevent organisms responsible for microbiological degradation
from attacking a substrate, a coating material or a film thereof
2.28
bleeding
migration of a coloured substance from a material into another material in contact with it, which could
produce an undesirable staining or discoloration
2.29
blister
convex deformation in a film, arising from local detachment of one or more of the constituent coats
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

2.30
blocking
unwanted adhesion between two surfaces, at least one of which has been coated, when they are left in
contact under load after a given drying period
2.31
blooming
migration of a substance to form a deposit on the coating surface
Note 1 to entry: The substance can be a constituent of the coating or of the substrate to which the coating is
applied.
2.32
blushing
milky opalescence that sometimes develops as a film of lacquer dries, and is due to the deposition of
moisture from the air and/or precipitation of one or more of the solid constituents of the lacquer
2.33
brightness
combination of the lightness and colour intensity of a material
Note 1 to entry: Brightness is most commonly expressed numerically by the tristimulus value Y.
2.34
brittleness
condition whereby a film or coat has such poor flexibility that it disintegrates easily into small fragments
2.35
bronzing
change in the colour of the surface of a film giving the appearance of aged bronze
2.36
brush-drag
resistance encountered when applying a coating material by brush, related to its high-shear viscosity
2.37
bubble
closed or open spherical cavity trapped in a paint layer, often caused by evaporating solvents
2.38
bubbling
formation of temporary or permanent bubbles in an applied film
2.39
bulk density
ratio of mass to volume of a powder when poured gently under specified conditions
Note 1 to entry: The value of the bulk density depends to a large extent on the method of measurement used and
the manner in which it is carried out.
Note 2 to entry: See also tamped density.
2.40
burning off
removal of a coating by a process in which the film is softened by heat and then scraped off while still soft
2.41
chalking
appearance of a loosely adherent powder on the surface of a film or coat arising from the degradation of
one or more of its constituents
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

2.42
checking
form of cracking characterized by fine cracks distributed over the surface of a dry film or coat in a more
or less regular pattern
Note 1 to entry: An example of checking is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 — Checking
2.43
chemical pre-treatment
any chemical process applied to a surface prior to the application of a coating material
Note 1 to entry: See e.g. phosphating.
2.44
chipping
removal, in flakes, of a coating or rust and mill scale by use of hand or power tools
2.45
chlorinated rubber
polymeric material resulting from the action of chlorine on natural and/or synthetic rubber
2.46
cissing
appearance in a film of areas of non-uniform thickness which vary in extent and distribution
2.47
clear coating material
coating material which when applied to a substrate forms a solid transparent film having protective,
decorative or specific technical properties
Note 1 to entry: See also varnish.
2.48
coalescing agent
additive added to a coating material based on a polymer dispersion to facilitate film formation
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

2.49
coat
layer of a coating material resulting from a single application
Note 1 to entry: For fillers the word “coat” is used instead of “film”.
2.50.1
coating
layer formed from a single or multiple application of a coating material to a substrate
2.50.2
coating
process of applying a coat
Note 1 to entry: The use of the term “coating” for “coating material” is deprecated.
2.51
coating material
product, in liquid, paste or powder form, that, when applied to a substrate, forms a layer possessing
protective, decorative and/or other specific properties
Note 1 to entry: The German term “Beschichtungsstoff” includes the terms “Lack”, “Anstrichstoff” and such for
similar products.
2.52
coating powder
coating material in powder form which, after fusing and possibly curing, gives a continuous film
2.53
coating process
method of application of a coating material to a substrate
2.54
coating system
combination of all coats of coating materials which are to be applied or which have been applied to a
substrate
Note 1 to entry: The actual system can be characterized by the number of coats involved.
Note 2 to entry: See also coating.
2.55
cohesion
forces that bind a film or coat into an integral entity
Note 1 to entry: Cohesion should not be confused with adhesion.
2.56
coil coating
coating process whereby the coating material is applied continuously to a coil of metal which may be
rewound after the film has been dried
2.57
cold cracking
formation of cracks in a film resulting from exposure to low temperatures
2.58
colour
sensation resulting from the perception of light of a given spectral composition by the human eye
Note 1 to entry: The use of the German word “Farbe” alone, i.e. not in combinations of words, for coating materials
is deprecated.
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

Note 2 to entry: A colour is characterized by hue, chroma, and lightness.
2.59
colour retention
degree of permanence of a colour
Note 1 to entry: Colour retention can be influenced by weathering.
2.60
colouring material
any substance that confers colour to other materials
Note 1 to entry: Colouring materials comprise pigments that are insoluble in the application medium as well as
dyestuffs that are soluble in the application medium.
2.61.1
compatibility
ability of two or more materials to be mixed together without causing undesirable effects
2.61.2
compatibility
ability of a coating material to be applied to a substrate without
causing undesirable effects
2.62
consistency
body
flow resistance of a coating material as assessed subjectively when applying a shearing force
2.63
contrast ratio
ratio of the reflectance of a coating material applied under specified conditions over a black surface to
the reflectance of the same thickness of this coating material applied over a white surface
2.64
corrosion
process of deterioration by chemical, electrochemical or microbiological reactions resulting from
exposure to the environment or a medium
2.65
cracking
rupturing of a dry film or coat
Note 1 to entry: The English term “cracking” is also used for a specific form of cracking illustrated in Figure 2.
Note 2 to entry: Crocodiling and crow’s foot cracking are examples of forms of cracking.
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

Figure 2 — Cracking
2.66
cratering
formation in a film or coat of small circular depressions that persist after drying
Note 1 to entry: Craters can extend into preceding layers of coating or to the substrate.
Note 2 to entry: Cratering is caused by localized inhomogeneities of the surface tension of the coating.
Contamination of the substrate or coating with incompatible substances such as small oil drops or particulate
material are the most frequent causes.
2.67
crawling
extreme form of cissing
Note 1 to entry: There is no German term for “crawling”.
2.68
crazing
form of cracking characterized by wide, deep cracks distributed over the surface of a dry film in a more
or less regular pattern
Note 1 to entry: An example of crazing is shown in Figure 3.
Note 2 to entry: There is no French and German term for “crazing”.
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

Figure 3 — Crazing
2.69
critical pigment volume concentration
CPVC
value of the pigment volume concentration at which the voids between the solid particles which are
nominally touching are just filled with binder and above which certain properties of the film are markedly
changed
2.70
crocodiling
form of cracking characterized by a pattern of cracks resembling a crocodile skin
Note 1 to entry: An example of crocodiling is shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4 — Crocodiling
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

2.71
crow’s foot cracking
form of cracking characterized by a pattern of cracks resembling a crow’s foot
Note 1 to entry: An example of crow’s foot cracking is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5 — Crow’s foot cracking
2.72
curing
hardening
increase in the molecular size of a binder by chemical reaction
Note 1 to entry: Acceleration is possible by physical means (heat, radiation) or a catalyst.
Note 2 to entry: In French, curing is used for two-component paints, the second component generally being called
the hardener.
2.73
curing agent
additive that promotes the chemical curing of a coating
2.74
curtain coating
application of a coating material by passing the article to be coated horizontally through a descending
sheet of a continuously recirculated coating material
2.75
cutting-in
application of a coating material by brush up to a predetermined line
Note 1 to entry: An example is applying the coating material to the frames of windows without applying it to the
glazing.
2.76
defoaming agent
additive that reduces foam which can form during manufacture and/or application of the coating material
Note 1 to entry: See also anti-foaming agent.
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ISO 4618:2014(E/F)

2.77
degreasing
removal from a surface, prior to painting, of oil, grease and similar substances by either an organic
solvent or a water-based cleaning agent
2.78
de-nibbing
removal of small particles protruding from the dry surface of an applied coating or of a substrate
2.79
de-scaling
removal of mill scale or laminated rust from steel or other ferrous substrates
2.80
diluent
volatile liquid, single or blended, which, whilst not a solvent, may be used in conjunction with the solvent
without causing any deleterious effects
Note 1 to entry: See also solvent and thinner.
2.81
dipping
application of a coating material by immersing the object to be coated in a bath containing the coating
material and then, after withdrawal, allowing it to drain
2.82
dirt pick-up
tendency of a dry film or coat to attract to the surface appreciable amounts of soiling material
2.83
dirt retention
tendency of a dry film or coat to retain on the surface soiling material which cannot be removed by
simple cleaning
2.84
dispersion
heterogeneous mixture of at least two materials, which are insoluble or only sparingly soluble in each
other and not chemically bonded
Note 1 to entry: Dispersion is the generic term for suspension and emulsion.
2.85
dispersing agent
dispersant
additive that facilitates the dispersion of solids in the medium during manufacture and that increases the
stability of the mixture thereafter
2.86
drier
compound, usually a metal soap, that is added to products drying by oxidation in order to accelerate this
process
2.87
drying
all the processes through which an applied coating material passes in going from the liquid to the solid
state
Note 1 to entry: “Oxidative drying” is used frequently, instead of the more correct term “oxidative hardening”.
Note 2 to entry: See also curing.
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2.88
drying oil
oil based on unsaturated fatty acids, yielding a film by oxidation
2.89
durability
ability of a coating to resist the damaging effects of its environment
2.90
dyestuff
colouring material, soluble in the application medium
2.91
effect pigment
pigment, usually plate-like in form, that, confers not only colour but additional properties such as
iridescence (interference at thin layers), angle dependency of colour (colour travel, colour flop, light-
dark flop), or texture
2.92
efflorescence
phenomenon that occurs when water-soluble salts in a dry film or from the substrate migrate to the
surface and form a crystalline deposit
2.93.1
elasticity
ability of a dry film to return to its original form after the removal of stress applied in any
lateral direction
Note 1 to entry: See also flexibility.
2.93.2
elasticity
property of a material to show a reversible recovery after deformation
2.94
electrodeposition
process whereby a film of a water-based coating material is deposited, under the influence of electric
current, on an object that forms either the anode or cathode, depending on the nature of the coating
material
2.95
electron beam curing
process for the rapid curing of specially formulated coating materials by means of a concentrated stream
of electrons
2.96
electrostatic spraying
method of application by which an electrostatic potential difference is applied between the article to be
coated and the atomized coating material particles
2.97
emulsion
finely dispersed mixture of at least two liquids which are insoluble, or only sparingly soluble, in each
other
2.98
epoxy ester
synthetic resin resulting from the reaction between an epoxy resin and fatty acids and/or oils
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2.99
epoxy resin
synthetic resin containing epoxy groups, generally prepared from epichlorhydrin and a bisphenol
2.100
etch primer
primer, often supplied as two reactive components mixed immediately prior to application, designed to
react with a metal surface to improve the adhesion of subsequent coats
2.101
etching
cleaning, roughening or removal of a natural oxide layer from a surface using a chemical agent prior to
painting in order to increase adhesion
2.102
extender
substance in granular or powder form, insoluble in the medium and used to modify or influence certain
physical properties
Note 1 to entry: In German the terms “Extender”, “Extenderpigment”, “Pigmentextender” or “Verschnittmittel”
should be avoided.
2.103
exudation
sweating
migration of liquid components of a coating material to the surface of a film
2.104
fading
loss of colour of a film of a coating material
2.105
feather edging
reducing the thickness of the edge of an area of coating prior to recoating in order to avoid a ridge
appearing in the merged layers
2.106
feeding
change in the consistency, i.e. increase in the viscosity, of a coating material during storage, to such an
extent as to make it unusable
2.107
filler
coating material with a high proportion of extender, intended primarily to even out irregularities in
substrates to be painted and to improve surface appearance
Note 1 to entry: The term filler is also widely used in the sense of extender.
2.108
filling
application of a filler to give a level surface
2.109
film
continuous layer of an applied coating material
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2.110
film formation
transition of an applied coating material from the liquid to the solid state or, in the case of a powder
coating material, through a liquid phase to the solid phase
Note 1 to entry: Film formation is brought about by drying and/or hardening. Both changes can proceed
simultaneously.
2.111
fineness of grind
term related to the size of the largest particles in a mill base or in a coating material
2.112
finishing coat
top coat
final coat of a coating system
2.113
fish eyes
presence of craters in a coat each having a small particle of impurity in the centre
2.114
flaking
detachment of small parts of a coating due to a loss of adhesion
2.115
flame cleaning
process by which a reducing flame is applied to a surface, followed by manual or mechanical cleaning
operations
2.116
flame treatment
method of pre-treatment, by a flame, where the surface of a plastics material (e.g. polyethylene) is
oxidized to improve the wetting properties of the coating material and the adhesion of the coating, or
even to render these possible
2.117
flash-off time
time necessary between the application of successive coats wet-on-wet or the time for the evaporation
of most of the volatile matter before stoving or curing by radiation
2.118
flash point
lowest temperature, as measured in the prescribed manner, of the test portion corrected to a barometric
pressure of
...