Spray paint

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Spray paint

Aerosol paint can: propellant at the top of the can presses down on the mixture of paint and propellant in the bottom, forcing the mixture up through the dip tube when the valve is opened
Tins of railway modelling brand GreenMax’s spray paint
A character of a spray paint can at 5 Pointz, 2013
Classification	Paint
Uses	Graffiti
Inventor	Erik Rotheim

Spray paint (formally aerosol paint) is paint that comes in a sealed, pressurized container and is released in an aerosol spray when a valve button is depressed. The propellant is what the container of pressurized gas is called. When the pressure holding the gas is released through the valve, the aerosol paint releases as a fine spray.^[1] Aerosol painting is one form of spray painting; it leaves a smooth, even coat, unlike many traditional rolled and brushed paints. Aerosol primer can be applied directly to bare metal and many plastics.

Most aerosol paints also have a metal, marble, glass or plastic ball called a pea inside of the can, which is used to mix the paint when the can is shaken.

Aerosol propellants consist of flammable gas combinations that can lead to fire and explosions if they are sprayed, punctured, or exposed to flames.^[2]

Aerosol paint needs different types of plastic-like polymers to make it work. The most commonly used are alkyds and acrylics. Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) is another substitute for acrylics. Different companies will use specific mixes of polymers and plasticizers (like dibutyl phthalate and dibutyl meleate) to make the spray paint flexible and durable.^[3]