Can I use water-based paints on MDF and get a quality finish?

I always say that MDF is a "good" material. It is dimensionally stable, homogeneous, easily worked, and properly milled and painted, it can rival solid wood furniture. I know this for a fact because I have kitchen furniture with milled, painted and antiqued MDF fronts. Incidentally, I told you here about the kitchen furniture I painted and antiqued single. I can tell you that I had many guests who were convinced that I had wooden furniture. And the pattern chosen for the door fronts is not the most convincing. MDF is an increasingly popular material for furniture. Initially it was used more for the bathroom and kitchen, but gradually it has conquered the whole house. To convince, however, it needs quality finishing materials that cover and stretch well and make a strong and aesthetic veneer. The main materials used in the past were solvent-based, with water-based ones considered to 'swell' the MDF and not be as durable. In the meantime, water-based materials have made up for the difference in quality and are now the preferred choice.

But the demands of customers on the quality of furniture have increased, and automatically, so have the requirements for MDF paints. This was the starting point for the Italian ICA group when it developed the range of BIO resins that it also used to produce finishing materials dedicated to MDF. This is the opaque range of IRIDEA BIO for interiors, which in addition to the traditional white products, can offer all the colours in RAL, NCS or ICA's own range. ICA products are distributed in Romania by Lomiluxwhich can offer you, in addition to the basic materials, the colours of all 3 ranges, as well as the possibility of copying any colour with the help of the sprectrophotometer.

Qualities of MDF

MDF is made by hot pressing wood fibre mixed with adhesives. The fibre is obtained by partially removing the lignin from the wood and is very similar to sheep's wool, which is roughly scoured. Pressing results in a uniform, fairly homogeneous and very versatile material. From the press, the MDF has paraffin-treated faces to make it resistant to moisture. By milling, that layer is removed, the milled parts becoming more sensitive to moisture. Hence the reluctance to finish with water-based products.

MDF panels can be used in construction or furniture manufacture. They can be veneered, solid wood veneered or painted. They can be milled to produce the most interesting patterns. The advent of CNCs has greatly simplified processing and diversified designs. In addition to furniture, room dividers, radiator masks and atypical mirror frames with unique designs have appeared.

Its homogeneous structure means that there are no major absorption problems in the rubbed areas. The only problem comes from the different absorption compared to the panel surface. Unlike the wood from which it is made, MDF is much more dimensionally stable, with moisture-induced variation being inscrutable. As the appearance of the original board is not spectacular, MDF furniture is painted. The system uses insulator (optional) to prevent deep absorption in the milled areas, primer and paint (enamel). For a long time, high gloss paints have been the specific paints for this type of furniture. Over time, the versatility of MDF has been recognised and finishes have diversified, ranging from mirror gloss to interesting antiquing.

Iridea BIO water soluble products

ICA Group's main objective has been to combine innovation and quality with low environmental impact. The decision was to focus on water-based products, thus helping to protect those who work with coating materials and those who come into contact with furniture and finished products. The research was conducted in order to obtain products with minimal impact on health using vegetable waste as raw material, without compromising on the quality and properties of the materials obtained. This has resulted in BIO product range with comparable or even better properties than conventional products. There are both outdoor products, Arborea BIO (about which you can find information here and here) and for interior use - Iridea BIO. About transparent, coloured and colourless products, we talked about here. Now it's the turn of opaque products used to finish MDF and wood.

The Iridea BIO pigmented waterborne range includes products with physical, chemical and mechanical properties and aesthetic appearance perfectly comparable to solvent-based polyurethane products. Unlike these, which contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of over 55%, Iridea products have a VOC content of 3-7%. Thus, the waterborne system makes it possible to comply with regulations on the reduction of solvent emissions into the atmosphere, ensuring the same aesthetic and qualitative results as the solvent-based one. This reduced emission is beneficial both for the operators in the factory and for the furniture users, who get rid of unpleasant odours in the home.

The Iridea BIO opaque system for MDF includes a white primer with hardener and white enamels with varying degrees of gloss. The hardening primer also acts as an insulator. After the first coat of primer, diluted with up to 5% water, it is sanded to remove the raised fibre. Then apply another coat of primer for a very good coating of the MDF and finally the enamel. What is attractive about this finish is that the furniture can be coloured in the most unusual colours. Being healthy too, they are perfect for making furniture or toys for children. Colours can be chosen from three colour ranges (ICA, RAL and NCS), comprising more than 2,300 colours that can be faithfully reproduced thanks to the tinctometric system. ICA Color. On request, other colours can be reproduced using the spectrophotometer.

A range of healthy products, also recognised by the European Commission

The important thing about the Iridea BIO range of products is that, besides being healthy and environmentally friendly, they have high mechanical and chemical resistance, are easy to work with and can be applied with technologies specific to large factories. As it is about finishing MDF, it is important that they can be applied by spray gun, pump or on automated finishing lines, because this is the way of working in factories. However healthy or environmentally friendly they were, it would have been difficult to get them accepted in factories if they were only applied by brush or trowel.

Products in the Iridea BIO range are resistant to scratching, knocks and other mechanical actions, to water or coffee stains, to humidity and have a pleasant appearance and tufting. Unlike organic alkyd products (to which they are often compared), they dry faster, sand more easily and are more resistant to direct light. They lend themselves to repeated industrial applications and can be used without problems in large factories where productivity is an important requirement. Their good resistance to moisture allows them to be used to finish bathroom or kitchen furniture, and the wide range of colours available makes them perfect for painting children's furniture.

Two-component water-based products receive award LIFE The European Union's award is given to projects that demonstrate a high level of technological innovation aimed at protecting the environment and using renewable resources.