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I've read it here and in other forums that "Tamiya acrylics are 'technically' lacquers." I always doubted this statement because 1) Tamiya never refers to their acrylic paints as 'lacquers' in their own literature and 2) they behave nothing like lacquers. (BTW, I'm talking about the bottled paints, not the spray cans).
Today I posed a question to the Tamiya representatives at IPMS Nationals in Columbus. They indicated that their paints are not lacquers and that they are, in fact, acrylic paints.
It is true that Tamiya paints are not typical acrylics--they contains alcohols in addition to water. But adding solvent to an acrylic paint does not make it a lacquer. Paints are defined by their binder (aka film-former) and not by their solvents. No matter what solvent you add to Tamiya paint, it is going to evaporate and what remains will be the same acrylic film.
I'm not sure how the confusion got started. Perhaps someone confused the Tamiya spray paints (which are 'synthetic lacquers) with the bottled paints. Perhaps someone assumed that because one can mix Tamiya paint with lacquer thinner, it must be a lacquer. If that were true, then enamels are also lacquers because they can be mixed with lacquer thinner.
I hope this clears up the confusion.
I've been saying this for years.
Tamiya acrylic paints utilise acrylic compounds as their primary film-forming material. This is what makes them acrylic.
It's irrelevant what the reducing medium is, it's irrelevant what co-polymers, if any, are added (such as the vinyl-like component in Vallejo acrylics).
It simply comes down to basic chemistry.
Phil_H Tamiya acrylic paints utilise acrylic compounds as their primary film-forming material. This is what makes them acrylic.
This is the key. Among acrylics, nothing else sprays better and is more consistent and more reliable than Tamiya acrylics. I wouldn't enjoy modeling without Tamiya acrylics (and kits as well).
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Ah, the Gunze acrylics were pretty sweet too! And with a better color range. Too bad they are no longer available here in the US.
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Phil_H I've been saying this for years.
Keep saying it, Phil! It is quite frustrating how myths will persist despite efforts to correct them. Even the folks at FSM have published the "Tamiya is lacquer" myth without doing the fact-checking. Of course, this phenomenon is not unique to the modeling hobby.
Now about lacquers, my understanding is that they, by definition, dry by simple solvent evaporation--there is no cross-linking. Thus, the film remains soluble in its original solvent. Acrylics, on the other hand, undergo cross-linking after the solvent/diluent has evaporated, resulting in a harder film that will no longer be soluble in water.
I've always wondered if acrylic polymers exist that are not water soluble, or if that is something that is inherent to all acrylic polymers. And I've wondered if any acrylic polymers exist that do not undergo cross-linking.
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