MUSCAT, Jan 9 - The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) has completed the updating of Omani standards for two categories of paints: Omani Standard ‘OS 197’ for paints and varnishes, covering emulsified paints for internal and external painting; and Omani Standard ‘OS 240’ for paints and varnishes, covering glossy alkyd paints, semi-glossy and matte finishing for interior and exterior surfaces.
Nadia bint Mohammad al Siyabi (pictured), Head of the Chemical and Petroleum Products Standards Department in the Directorate General of Standards and Metrology, said the two standard drafts set the technical requirements to ensure the quality of both types of paints, which includes that the material shall not show evidence of microorganisms, coagulation, superficial agglutination, corruption, solid deposition of pigment, agglomeration or rust in the container.
The two Omani standards projects also defined the term diluent, which is volatile liquids that are added to paints or varnishes in order to make it ready to be used and easy to absorb by reducing its viscosity, where it must be fully mixed with paint or varnish at normal temperatures and not cause the deposition of non-volatile particles, whether in the container or in the paint layer during its drying process.
The official explained that the standards also define the term of “dehydration”, which is the process of transforming the paint or varnish layer from a liquid state to a solid state, as a result of the evaporation of the solvent or as a result of physical and chemical reactions of the bonding medium or as a result of both reasons.
Also, any residual pigment should be quickly dispersed in the liquid part by stirring to form a smoothly homogeneous paint, free from permanent foam. The paint should not give out an irritating or unpleasant odor, and the paint layer shall not show any form of wrinkling or any blotting immediately after the test plate comes out of the water, she noted.
The paint layer also will not be affected except slightly when examined two hours after its removal from the water and shall be difficult to identify the difference between the part that was submerged in water and the part that was not.
In terms of hardness after drying by air for 24 hours, provided that the paint layer is painted on a sheet of glass, where the aging and immersion time can be determined in accordance with the agreement between the seller and the buyer, she further added.
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