stardustcolors | The blog of Stardustcolors paints

24 February 201324 September 2021 stardustcolors Uncategorised

2K paints and 1K basecoats

This post concerns only sprayable paints used in automotive and design.
Below is a clarification for outsiders who wish to distinguish between the various names of paints used !

Lacquers or 2K paints (solvent based). *don’t exist in water based version

They are paints with a hard, resistant, ‘glossy finish’ and as such don’t need to be topcoated.

These products are polyurethane based, thick paints and are bi-component because they always go with a hardener.
The hardener will allow to trigger the hardening and the drying of the paint.
They can be thinned reasonably up to 15%

Advantages:
– Time saving (they are both paint and protective clear coat)
– High resistance to thinners, oils, alcohols…

Disadvantages:
– Very thick
– Long drying time
– Risks of sagging
– Once the hardener has been added, they must be used within 30mn, if not they will become unusable

They are mostly used for the painting of trucks/buses and in industry.

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1K Paints are available in solvent based or waterborne (water-based) versions:

Solvent based :
They have many names, which often leads to confusion:

« 1K basecoat»
« Mono-component paint»
« 1K paint»

They have a matt aspect and must be topcoated.
These paints are used mainly in automotive paint and are called 2-coats since they are part of a two-stage system : Basecoat + Clear coat.
They are mono component, meaning that no hardener is required since they dry in the air.

When they dry they display a dull and matt aspect. It’s only after having been topcoated that they show their final aspect.

Advantages:
– Almost immediate drying, and therefore little risk of drip
– Excellent fluidity, and thinning down possible up to 100%!
– Very fine: With only a thickness between 20 and 40µm, they don’t create thick layers or variations in paint thickness called “steps”
– Unlimited shelf life and possibility of reuse as no hardener nor catalyzer is used.

Disadvantages:
When they are not topcoated, 1K paint are not very resistant. Thus, it’s important to be careful with liquids such as oil, thinner and alcohol.
Clear coat is imperative

They are ideal for the application of airbrush paint which requires high precision and very fine nozzles.

9 February 20139 December 2022 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Learn all about phosphorescent paint

StardustColors is a leader in Europe in the manufacture of photoluminescent paints and materials.  Our products are aimed at private individuals and at safety, design and architecture professionals.

What is the aspect during the day ?

Our phosphorescent paints are more or less colourless and transparent during the day. The most colourless ones are the purple, the white and the red. While green and blue green are of a greenish white colour.

What is their lifetime ?

Our photoluminescent products are from the latest generation and thus have a very good resistance to UV and an estimated lifespan of 15 to 25 years. Our special polyurethane formulation gives them an incomparable solidity.

PU paints for outdoors are suitable for floors and walls, are perfectly liquid-proof and resistant to chemical products, can bear temperatures above 150°C. Be careful with the support used: different substrates require different adhesion primers in order to get a quality work : Wood, Aluminium, Metal, Plastic, Paint, Concrete…

StardustColors manufactures a second version, ultra concentrated : the SIGNAL phosphorescent paint.

The composition of this remarkable paint is the same, and allows to obtain a phosphorescence 2 times stronger.

On what depend the intensity and duration of

phosphorescence ?

– On time: The luminosity curve (see the table below) shows a decline with time. After several days the residual phosphorescence will be reduced to nothing.

–On the thickness of the coat of paint: The thicker it is, the more it will absorb light. To be more specific, the more coats of paint are applied, the longer the phosphorescence will last and the more intense.

–On the type of colour : Some colours last longer and have a stronger intensity: the strongest one is green, followed by blue green. The other colours are of medium (red, white, blue) or of low intensity (purple).

–On the light source : The phosphorescent paint needs enough natural or artificial light sources to charge.

–On the ambient luminosity: The phenomenon of phosphorescence will appear in total darkness. A parameter to take into account, as in some high luminous places (e.g., The city at night with urban lightings), it will lose all or part of its luminosity.

–On the temperature : It’s a criteria to bear in mind because the cold slows down the molecules that produce phosphorescence, while heat makes the molecules excited !

– On the colour of the background: Phosphorescent paints being transparent, they reach their maximum intensity when applied over a white background. On the other hand, a black background will limit their intensity to the minimum.

NEW:  Stardustcolors is the first company that proposes a polyurethane paint which is 100% water based and solvent-free, and which displays the same resistance qualities. This version is ideal for an indoor application, odourless and without toxic fumes (stairwells, schools, hotels…)

24 January 201317 July 2025 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Diamond Effects

The White Diamond Effect

Exclusively made from the latest generation of Diamond pearls (transparent materials made from glass of exceptional purity), the Diamond paint range allows a strong glitter effect, and an incomparable resistance to weather conditions.

As of today, the Diamond pearls are the highest quality of pearl effect: They are made of a thin plate of transparent silicate, electrocoated with titanium dioxide.

White Diamond pearl paint:

Suitable for automotive, decoration as well (furniture, architecture, design…), the White diamond effect is very easy to apply.

How to get a icy-white effect, with a « whiter than white » look ? Simply by adding to the paint a drop of our candy concentrate: The blue will be undetectable and the final aspect of the paint will be of a polar white colour !

Cosmic Diamond White effect:

This paint is exclusively manufactured by StardustColors and is the high-end version of the the White effect: It produces a multicoloured iridescence. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to take a satisfactory image yet.
Tip: A drop of this effect sprayed on a dark background, allows to create the iridescent black colour that you get on the Harley Davidsons.

Opalescent effect:

A step further in intense effects.

This paint, still part of the white diamond family, is very rare and creates a double or triple reflection of iridescent colour, like opal gemstone.

18 January 20139 December 2022 stardustcolors Uncategorised

Phosphorescent Products

What is it ?

The phenomenom is observed when a material still keeps emitting light after having been exposed to sun or to a source of light

How does it work ?

It stores all type of luminous energy (natural or artificial) and thanks to a molecular process, it reflects back the energy under the form of light.

When the paint is exposed to a source of light, it absorbs the photons.

Composition: Strontium Aluminium , Al2O3, rare earth elements. Found not harmful, non-radioactive product !

Advantages

• Compared to an expensive electrical signal, phosphorescence doesn’t depend on an electricity source and thus is not affected by power outages.

• Installed quickly, cost-effective, invisible by day, very resistant indoors and outdoors (under the sun or the rain), and the effect lasts up to 25 years without specific maintenance. Note that this product is not radioactive !

Application

Important for local communities and buildings that receive visitors, used for safety and in industry, and by sculptors and architects as well for art and design.

* For decoration:
Phosphorescent products can be used for decoration, design and design furnitures.

You can particularly use phosphorescent mosaic tiles in bathrooms, as phosphorescent stones and pebbles can help you in arranging gardens, etc.

Decoration: mosaics, stones and pebbles, sand, phosphorescent paint.

* For safety, signals and industries:

The European NF EN1838 standard gives very precise outlines :
– Allow the evacuation of areas,
– Ensure easy location of safety and fire fighting equipments

– Reduce the risk of panic and maintain visibility in hazardous areas

– Faciliate eventual emergency services
The means required:
– A location lighting of the paths to follow
– A minimum of lighting of evacuation routes and around safety equipments

We also offer a wide range of solvent-based or water-based paints for walls and floors and for supports such as wood, concrete, metal, etc.

For safety and signals:
Phosphorescents Adhesives
Phosphorescent retro-reflective tapes
Phosphorescent adhesive arrow tapes
Anti-slip tapes
Luminescent stair nosings
Photoluminescent paint