Paint Technology and Tests

by Henry A. Gardner

May 31, 1910

PITTSBURG TEST FENCE
Comparative Spreading Rates of White Paint on White Pine Panels
Average Spreading Rate 266 Square Feet

Formula Number	First Coat (sq. ft.)	Second Coat (sq. feet)	Third Coat (sq. ft.)	Average Spreading Rate (sq. feet)	Spreading Rate 3-Coat Work (sq. feet)
1	759	1020	768	849	283
2	694	975	1229	966	322
3	743	873	770	795	265
4	537	987	1019	848	283
5	509	896	886	764	255
6	765	1045	994	935	312
7	734	922	996	884	295
8	565	862	854	760	253
9	622	926	1160	903	301
10	610	1013	1070	900	300
11	651	933	1010	865	288
12	675	1027	623	775	258
13	663	892	981	845	282
14	498	785	807	697	232
15	688	1000	984	891	297
16	669	880	860	803	268
17	635	982	1077	900	300
18	636	959	1031	875	292
19	626	1076	1037	913	304
20	591	1015	929	845	282
21	595	948	910	818	273
22	617	868	810	765	255
23	549	1002	986	846	282
24	539	918	783	747	249
25	530	929	850	770	257
26	532	916	1011	820	273
27	520	850	656	675	225
33	600	1340	810	917	306
34	471	743	690	635	212
35	402	598	645	548	183
36	398	668	838	635	212
37	579	653	838	690	230
38	463	615	704	594	198
39	474	954	849	759	253
40	446	815	871	711	237
45	527	841	916	761	254
46	605	740	818	721	240
47	735	961	993	896	299

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CHAPTER X

A LABORATORY STUDY OF TEST PANELS

Panel Sections for Laboratory Test. In order to make a laboratory study of the painted panels on the Atlantic City and Pittsburg fences, it was thought advisable to remove small sections from representative areas and transfer them to the laboratory for such work. The fences were visited by the official inspection committees soon after the first annual inspection, and the panels were carefully looked over. Upon each was marked out a representative portion, care being exercised to select areas where previous inspections had not disturbed the surface of the film in any manner. The inspectors then placed the number of the panel upon the areas which had been marked off, as well as their initials. The marked sections were sawed out, wrapped in tissue paper, and then transferred to the laboratory where they were placed upon models of the respective fences from which they had been removed. The illustration shows the model test fences set up together. It is very apparent that the Pittsburg panels are much the darker in color, due to the soot, and in some cases lead sulphide formed upon their surfaces. This difference was undoubtedly due to the atmospheric conditions prevailing where the tests were made. One would be led to suppose that a paint film exposed to an atmosphere such as is found in Pittsburg would show deterioration more rapidly than one exposed in Atlantic City. In all the tests and experiments, however, the Atlantic City panels appeared broken down to a much greater extent; though it is true that the Pittsburg panels had darkened considerably and presented a rather mottled appearance. The deposit of soot on the Pittsburg panel seemed to act as a preservative coating for the film beneath, and prevented marked disintegration.