Oil Linseed Coatings

Linseed Oil, derived from flax seeds, is one of the first binders used for coatings. The oil is extracted or pressed from the flax seeds and incorporated into coatings such as alkyds or used as raw oil. The oil is used as a solvent to comply with VOC regulations on solvent content.

The coating is expensive and is typically used for wood varnishes, printing inks, stains and house paints, but is also used in the marine and steel industry. Linseed oil is a slow drying oil, taking at times several days to completely dry. It provides good surface coverage and is durable. However, it is not the best at resisting chemicals and water. Linseed oil also has poor leveling and flow capabilities and has a tendency to form films. The oil linseed alkyds have better color retention than that of the raw oil. Coatings applied with linseed oil, often turn yellow in the absence of sunlight.

To reduce this problem, linseed oil is boiled producing a coating more resistant to color change. The boiled coatings also increase the leveling and flow abilities.