Architectural coatings, defined as paints and surface finishes used primarily on buildings for protection and aesthetics, require uniform pigment dispersion to achieve proper opacity, durability, and application performance. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the primary white pigment used in these coatings due to its high refractive index, allowing it to efficiently scatter light. However, TiO2 particles frequently agglomerate in waterborne paint systems, reducing optical efficiency which increases the amount of pigment required. Because TiO2 is one of the most expensive components within paint formulation, improving its dispersion is both economically and environmentally significant. This research explores the use of stimuli-responsive block copolymers as the dispersing agents for TiO2. These polymers consist of chemically distinct segments that change their conformation in response to external stimuli, allowing them to improve pigment separation and interparticle stabilization. Dispersion quality is evaluated using Leneta charts to assess opacity and film uniformity, along with secondary tests including water droplet resistance. Rheological testing using the rheometer is also performed to generate demand curves, which describe how paint viscosity changes under applied shear and are helpful for predicting processability and behavior of paints. Successful implementation is expected to reduce TiO2 usage while maintaining performance and reducing the overall cost.
