(13) Spirit varnish

Spirit varnishes are volatile solvent drying type paints where alcohol soluble resins dissolved in alcohol. They are fast drying, good in build-up, and economical, and have been in use as clear coatings on wooden furniture and etc. In recent years, many types of synthetic resins are being used to compensate for the shortcomings of natural resins.

(1) Shellac varnish

Shellac varnish is a resin solution of natural shellac secretion of Kerria lacca insect dissolved in alcohol. Typical shellac content of shellac varnishes is 20~30%. Drying time in normal temperatures is 10~30 minutes, and the surfaces become ready for sanding in 2~3 hours.
It is used as wood resin sealant, knotting, under coats of wooden furniture, and undercoats of oil based paints.

(2) Synthetic resin quick-drying varnish

Various types of synthetic resin quick-drying varnishes are being produced to overcome the shortcomings of the shellac varnishes. Many are of the heat and water resistance characteristics improved types over the shellac varnishes. There are as examples, with PVB+alcohol soluble phenolic resin type as the main coating component, small amounts of nitrocellulose and plasticizer added to rosin-modified maleic acid resin, both used on wooden crafts.

(14) Water-based paints

These are paints that use water instead of the organic solvents. In recent times, the water based paints have been developed based on viewpoints of degradations of the working environments by organic solvents, prevention of air pollution and energy conservation. These can be broadly classified into emulsion paints and water soluble resin paints. The former is a normal temperature drying thermoplastic polymer, and the latter is a thermosetting polymer used for baked-on painting.

(1) Emulsion paints

Commercial emulsion paints (Latex paints) use emulsion polymerized monomers as the vehicles such as vinyl, acrylic, styrene, butadiene, unsaturated ester base. The characteristics are: [1] no safety concerns since organic solvents are not used, [2] good brushing characteristics, [3] fast drying, [4] can be used on concrete and mortar if alkali-resistant polymers are used, [5] dried coatings are water resistant and often used on buildings.

(2) Water soluble resin paints

Water soluble resin paints are made mainly of synthetic drying oil-based, alkyd, polyester, epoxy ester, acrylic resins, containing a little of solvents, and for baked paint use. The most common application is electrodeposition painting widely used on auto-bodies, automotive parts, electrical appliances.
Dip coating and normal temperature drying type water soluble resin paints are also in usage.