Tinting water-borne and solvent-borne paints and stains with water-only colorants

1. A paint factory filling and packaging line including:

a) a conveyor that transports containers which are largely but incompletely filled with solvent-borne base paint or stain, and

b) a filling station where at least one synergist is added to the containers, the synergist containing, primarily or exclusively, one or more ingredients that will disperse water-only colorants, from an array including at least white, green, blue and red colorants, into the solvent-borne base paints or stains,

c) a capping station to install lids on the containers, and

d) a pressing station to close the lids on the containers,

wherein the solvent-borne base paint or stain does not already contain ingredients sufficient to satisfactorily disperse the water-only colorants into the solvent-borne base paint or stain if such colorants are added in amounts sufficient to fill available headspace in the containers.

2. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the containers have a volume of about 0.2 to 20 L and the lids are openable and recloseable.

3. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent-borne base paints or stains do not already contain ingredients sufficient to disperse the water-only fluid colorants into such solvent-borne base paints or stains without causing more than moderate dark rub-up in the Rub-Up Test.

4. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises a surfactant, optional dispersing agent and optional cosolvent.

5. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein at least 80 wt. % of the synergist comprises surfactant and optional dispersing agent or cosolvent.

6. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant and cosolvent.

7. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant, cosolvent and rheology modifier.

8. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises surfactant and dispersing agent.

9. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist further comprises an adhesion promoter.

10. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist further comprises a diluent.

11. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 10 , wherein the diluent is a reactive diluent.

12. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises a nonionic surfactant.

13. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises an anionic surfactant.

14. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises a combination of two or more surfactants that provides improved compatibility across a range of base paints or stains or within an array of water-only fluid colorants.

15. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises a compound having the formula I shown below:

R 1 O(C(O)) m A(R 3 )(R 4 )(C(O)) n R 2   I

wherein: A is a divalent C 1 -C 10 alkyl, C 2 -C 10 alkenyl or C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl radical;

R 3 and R 4 are independently H, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, —OR 5 or C(O)OR 5 radicals, wherein R 5 is H or a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl, or C 1 -C 6 alkoxy radical;

R 1 and R 2 are independently H, —C═O, or a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 6 alkyl radical;

m is 0 or 1; and

n is 0 or 1.

16. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the synergist comprises dioctyl maleate, tributyl citrate, a dihydric or polyhydric alcohol, a polyether, a modified polyurea, a polyalkylene oxide or a combination thereof.

17. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , further comprising a dispenser for dispensing water-only colorants into the solvent-borne base paint or stain.

18. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 17 , wherein the dispenser is a gravimetric dispenser.

19. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 17 , wherein the dispenser is a volumetric dispenser.

20. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 17 , wherein the water-only colorants are fluid colorants.

21. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 17 , wherein the water-only colorants are powdered colorants.

22. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent-borne base paint or stain is an alkyd paint.

23. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent-borne base paint or stain is a polyurethane paint.

24. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent-borne base paint or stain is an epoxy paint.

25. A paint factory filling and packaging line according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent-borne base paint or stain is an oil-based stain.