Marking paints for highways, roads and parking lots are produced in a wide variety of formulations that must meet increasingly strenuous DOT requirements for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dry times and durability. Furthermore, these products must be suitable for differing regional temperature variations, humidity differences and other application-specific conditions. When researching leading manufacturers’ instructions for utilizing these products, one critical requirement is common to all of them prior to application: thorough mixing!
Traffic and road paint formulations vary relative to density (or specific gravity), viscosity and ingredients, similar to paint products used in other industries. Generally, these include waterborne (latex), plural-component (often epoxy and catalyst) and thermoplastic products. Common containers are intermediate bulk containers (also called IBC totes), 55-gallon drums and 5-gallon pails. Regardless of formulation type, the important properties from a mixer selection standpoint are the density of the materials that must be blended including high solids content, the potential addition of reflective glass beads, the viscosity of the formulation, and the size and geometry of the container in which effective mixing must be achieved.