Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) as a rapid and cost-effective tool for solvent power studies in the paints and coating industry

Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) is an extremely sensitive mass sensor that measures micro down to nanogram level changes in mass per unit area. The frequency of oscillation can be affected by the addition or removal of small amounts of mass onto the electrode surface. This change in frequency can be monitored in real-time to obtain useful information about molecular interactions or reactions taking place at the electrode surface.The QCM can provide useful information on the amount of mass deposited and the rate of deposition (or removal) of such films by monitoring the real-time change in frequency. In this paper, QCM is used as a cost-effective and efficient sensor to study the solubility of solvents used in the coating and paint industries. The results show that QCM can determine the volatility and solubility of a solvent, which are important parameters in choosing a solvent or multi-solvent system to achieve the best solubility and the most appropriate drying time of the paint. Therefore, this method can be used instead of the traditional and standard method of determining the number of Kauri, which is a time-consuming method that requires the use of n-butanol solvent.

Keywords:

QCM sensors , solvent power , volatility , acetone