Differences Between Waterborne Paints and Solvent-based Paints

Dec 12 , 2025

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A. Differences in Coating Systems

Raw Materials: Waterborne paint uses water as the primary dispersion medium and diluent, whereas solvent-based paint relies on organic solvents for dispersion and dilution.

Diluents (Solvents): Waterborne paint can be diluted with deionized water at any ratio. In contrast, solvent-based paint can only be thinned with organic solvents such as odorless kerosene and light white oil.

VOC Content: Waterborne paint is an eco-friendly and healthy coating with extremely low VOC content, complying with environmental quality standards and posing no adverse effects on human health during application. On the contrary, solvent-based paint contains high levels of VOCs, which are significantly harmful to human health and the environment.

B. Differences in Coating Application Requirements

Application Environment: Given that water freezes at 0℃, waterborne paint cannot be applied at temperatures below 5℃. Solvent-based paint, however, can be applied at temperatures above -5℃, though its drying speed will slow down and the intercoat interval will be prolonged.

Application Viscosity: Water has a poor viscosity-reducing effect, making it relatively troublesome to thin waterborne paint. Reducing viscosity will drastically lower the solid content of the coating working fluid, impairing hiding power and increasing the number of application coats. Adjusting the viscosity of solvent-based paint is more convenient, while viscosity limits also affect the choice of application methods.

Drying and Curing: Waterborne paint requires more careful handling during curing—it fails to cure properly under high humidity or low temperatures, resulting in extended drying times. Even when heated, waterborne paint must be subjected to gradient temperature rise. Exposing it to high temperatures instantly will cause water vapor trapped inside to escape after surface drying, leading to pinholes or even large-area blistering. This is because waterborne paint uses only water as the diluent, lacking a volatile gradient. Solvent-based paint, by contrast, contains organic solvents with different boiling points that form multiple volatile gradients. No such defects will occur when it is baked at high temperatures after flash-off (the setting period between application and oven entry).

C. Differences in Coating Decorative Properties After Film Formation

Gloss Performance

Solvent-based paint: The fineness of pigments and fillers can be controlled through grinding, with no tendency toward pigment reagglomeration during storage. By adjusting the coating PVC (pigment-volume concentration) via resin addition and incorporating additives (e.g., matting agents), solvent-based paint can achieve a wide range of gloss levels, from matte and satin to semi-gloss and high-gloss. Automotive coatings, for instance, can reach a gloss level of over 90%.

Waterborne paint: Its gloss performance range is narrower than that of solvent-based paint, especially in terms of high-gloss expression. Due to the volatility characteristics of water (its sole diluent), waterborne paint struggles to achieve a gloss level above 85%.

Color Performance

Solvent-based paint: It offers a broad selection of pigments and fillers, including both inorganic and organic types, enabling the formulation of diverse colors with excellent color rendering.

Waterborne paint: Its choice of pigments and fillers is limited, as most organic pigments are incompatible. The incomplete color gamut makes it challenging to produce colors as rich as those achievable with solvent-based paint.

D. Storage and Transportation

Waterborne paint contains no flammable organic solvents, making its storage and transportation relatively safe. In case of contamination, it can be rinsed and diluted with ample water. However, waterborne paint has strict temperature requirements for storage and transportation—thermal insulation measures are mandatory below -5℃, otherwise problems such as emulsion breaking may occur.

E. Differences in Safety and Environmental Friendliness

Solvent-based paint presents fire and explosion hazards throughout production, transportation, storage and application. Particularly in confined spaces, its use may lead to suffocation or explosions. Meanwhile, organic solvents pose certain health risks to humans. A well-known case is the carcinogenicity of toluene, which is now prohibited from use. Solvent-based paint has high VOC content, with conventional products even exceeding 400 g/L, imposing enormous environmental and safety pressures on enterprises during production and application.

Waterborne paint (excluding pseudo-waterborne paint produced by unregulated manufacturers) is eco-friendly and safe across all stages of production, transportation, storage and application, making significant contributions to national energy conservation, emission reduction, safety and environmental protection policies.

Eric

Vice Chairman of the Coatings and Adhesives Association
Senior New Materials R&D Engineer
Bachelor of Engineering
General Manager
Professional Experience: With 10 years of experience in the fine chemical industry, the team has served over 10,000 clients. Committed to providing one-stop fine chemical services for global clients and helping them optimize the selection of chemical materials.

References

NPEF 170: Enhancing Construction Applications With Advanced Epoxy Resin

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