CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The origin of paint and painting started thousands of yeas ago. It can be rightly said that the desire to decorate their mummies sparked of this concept in Egypt around 15,000. Since then, this practice has gradually developed through many stages until modern concept of paint and painting came into being. This modern concept was brought about by gradual transformation from old materials and methods of paint making to the use of synthetic material and more modern machinery.

During these early years, the paints were only used on mammies, cares and tombs for the purposes of decorating them only.  But now the modern use of paint serves the dual purpose of decoration as well as preventing the substrate on which it is applied.  Because of this dual manufactured to meet a specified condition by the use of modern equipment and synthetic materials.

Here in Nigeria, the first modern paint industry was established in 1962, and today we have more than 100 of such industries all using entirely imported materials and equipment for the purposes of producing paint. Considering the staggering amount of foreign exchange the importation of these materials and equipment by the 100 industries will be directed towards the production of some of these raw materials within the country.

Rubber hater which is a product of hevea brasiciensis tree extensively grown in the western part of the country can be use as a binder in paint formulations against the PAVC which is currently being imported.  It is believed that if these persistent calls from both government and individuals for proper heamessment of local raw materials for our local industries are as serious as they want the public to believe, then initial effort should be towards the use of natural rubber later as a brinder for paint manufacturing as there is sure evidence that it will succeed.