TM 43-0139
GLOSSARY
The following terms are defined as they are used with respect to painting and related operations.
Abrasive resistance - This property is comparable to toughness rather than hardness. It is that property exhibited by the
surface of a paint, enamel, or varnish which will resist being worn away by rubbing or friction.
Adhesion - As used in reference to paint films, adhesion is the tendency of the film, when dry, to bond to the surface upon
which it has been applied.
Alligatoring - Rupturing of the top paint coat, which causes the surface to break up into irregular areas separated by wide
cracks in an "alligator hide" fashion.
Atomization - A paint and air mixture, whose round or oval pattern is generated by the mixing of paint/material and
compressed air at the air cap of a spray gun.
Binder - The nonvolatile portion of a paint vehicle. Binders may be drying oils, resins, or a number of other substances
such as casein, chlorinated rubber, nitrocellulose, or ethyl cellulose.
Blast cleaning - Blast cleaning to "white metal " is defined as blast cleaning which removes completely all visible mill
scale, rust, paint, foreign matter, and pitted areas from the surface of the metal. The end result must be a light-gray steel
surface of uniform appearance.
Bleeding - When the color of a pigment in a previous coat comes through the topcoat. This usually occurs when a
previously applied pigment is soluble in the medium of the newly applied topcoat. Asphalt and colored resins may also
bleed.
Blistering - A condition in which the paint coat is detached and raised from the surface upon which it is applied as the
result of gases or liquids, usually water, forming beneath the coating.
Blushing - The precipitation of ingredients of a paint film when it dries, which may be caused by condensation of moisture
on the film or by improper composition of the paint.
Body - A paint is said to have "body" or to be "bodied" when it is thickened above its normal condition. Thus the "body " of
a paint is its relative thickness. The degree of "body" is in proportion to a paint's viscosity.
Boxing - The process of mixing paint by pouring it back and forth from one container to another.
Brightness - The brightness of a paint film is measured by the percentage of incident light reflected from the film.
Brushing property - The quality a paint displays when it is applied to a surface, as affected by its viscosity, mobility,
consistency, composition, etc.
CARC - Chemical Agent Resistant Coatings; a system of primers and topcoats that are required on all combat, combat
support, and combat service support equipment. CARC is used to provide camouflage protection and/or chemical agent
resistance to liquid chemical agents. Since CARC does not absorb chemical agents it does not create long term contact
hazards.
Catalyst - A substance used in the manufacture of paint that causes a chemical and/or physical reaction to take place.
Chalking - When loose powder, which can be removed by gentle rubbing, appears on the paint film or just beneath the
surface. A good quality paint applied correctly should chalk very slowly. Chalking should be a
Glossary 1
