This is how quality and long-lasting paints are developed

Developing technologically advanced products is the very foundation of the philosophy of the Mapei Research and Development laboratories. This concept is applied to all the products we formulate, whether they are coatings for external surfaces or paints and enamels for painting internal surroundings. For us, to have technically advanced products means providing distributors, painters and owners with cutting-edge products with certified performance properties and high durability to limit, as much as possible, the number of interventions required during the life cycle of our systems. For example, we have intermediate products such as MAPETHERM FLEX RP and all the textured coating products used in external thermal insulation systems from the QUARZOLITE, SILANCOLOR and ELASTOCOLOR lines containing lightweight, recycled raw materials or raw materials from renewable sources. Our coatings will focus increasingly on research into solutions that are innovative and eco-sustainable. Following the same logic, we have extended the DURSILITE and MAPECOAT ACT range of coatings for internal applications by introducing DURSILITE IGEA, DURSILITE GYPSOS and MAPECOAT ACT MATT. The scope of extending the portfolio was also the occasion to optimise the formulations to bring them in line with new and more restrictive European regulations regarding the use of preservatives in both the product in the bucket and in the film on the wall after the product has been applied (resistance to mould). We have also worked hard to achieve Class A+, the highest classification possible for VOC emissions (Indoor Air Quality Emission), which certifies that Mapei coatings do not release harmful substances in rooms where they are applied. Technology, quality, and attention for mankind and the environment.

The “beauty” of a coating and the structure on which it is applied lies in its colour. For years now, colour has become essential for Mapei in so many of its product lines, from coatings for façades and internal walls to industrial and sports floors, and from grouts for tile joints to decorative cementitious floors. Pigments or their dispersions in various types of binder (colorants) are “responsible” for the colour of the finishing products. These components, however, have to be managed within the formula of a coating with great care: they have to be present in just the right amount to obtain the colour required, but without modifying the performance characteristics of the product; they have to guarantee the right hiding of the surfaces they are applied on, but must also remain unchanged over time and resist chemical and physical degradation caused by the sun and the surrounding environment. All this is planned at the start of the R&D work. After creating the formula and designing the production process for the new product on an industrial scale, a colour-characterisation is carried out using an instrumental colorimetry software. It is then decided which pigments should be used and the amounts required according to the area of use of the coating, after which instrumental testing is performed on the colours to optimise the functionality of the new database. To guarantee the durability of the colour, tests are then performed in the laboratory on a wide range of shades using our Weather-Ometer, an instrument that simulates and accelerates the ageing of coatings exposed in external surroundings. Once these activities have been completed, the colour-formula database of every COLORMAP tinting system is updated so that the new product can then be tinted automatically. With this project completed our production facilities and customers from all around the world that use COLORMAP will be able to formulate any colour and can rest assured that, what they are supplying or applying is the result of the methodical and scrupulous work of the laboratory at the origin.

The new EXtra colour collection is a portfolio of colours we developed and introduced to the market in 2022. The shades have been specially chosen for external applications, unlike the MASTER collection colour fan which includes both external colours and particularly bright, captivating colours for decorating internal walls. The EXtra colour fan contains 315 different shades to be in line with the current trend for decorating façades to satisfy the requirements of architects and designers. The wide spectrum of shades encloses pastel, medium and bright colours. The colour formulas are created using colorants with extremely high resistance to external conditions and are tested in a Weather-Ometer (the instrument used to simulate accelerated ageing of  materials) to guarantee maximum durability. The formulations can even be mixed in small quantities to prepare colour samples of our paints and textured coatings to evaluate a shade on a true-to-life scale before applying it on a façade. The colour recipes have been developed by paying particular attention to their cost, which has always been a sensitive issue. 

For this type of use we have developed enamel wall paints of the MAPECOAT ACT line. The ACT (Advanced Coating Technology) line identifies highly advanced systems for protecting and decorating the surface of walls in general, but also for more critical contexts such as areas where food and beverages are processed or the medical and healthcare sector. Both the Satin and Matt versions of MAPECOAT ACT comply with the requirements of HACCP protocols according to Italian standard UNI 11021 for use in the food and bevarages sector, and are tested according to ISO 22196, which determines the anti-bacterial activity of painting systems used in hospitals and healthcare settings. MAPECOAT ACT is a water-based acrylic product with high mechanical and chemical performance properties. It is resistant to detergents and disinfectants (EN ISO 2812-1), has very low dirt pick-up (UNI 10792), high cleanability, and high resistance to cleaning operations (class 1 according to EN ISO 11998), and is resistant to the growth of mould and fungi (EN 15457). It is classified as A+ as for its low VOC emission level. We decided to increase its performance properties to obtain anti-viral certification according to ISO 21702, which certifies a 99.9% reduction of viral load 24 hours after viruses come into contact with MAPECOAT ACT. It is also very important to underline that Mapei uses independent laboratories to carry out all performance tests, thereby guaranteeing that the figures on the Technical Data Sheets of our products are also certified by independent test reports.