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Water-Vapour Transmission and Liquid Repellency: Two Different Coating Questions
A liquid-repellent surface is not automatically a vapour barrier. Water-vapour transmission concerns movement through a material under defined conditions and requires evidence different from a water-drop demonstration.
Updated · NANOLAB Knowledge
The key distinction
ASTM's public E96 description emphasizes the method and environmental conditions used for vapour-transmission measurements. For a coating buyer, the practical issue is the complete tested assembly: coating, substrate and any supporting layers. A result for one assembly should not silently become a universal property of the liquid product.
Practical checks
- Define the proposed assembly and the moisture-related question.
- Ask the laboratory for an applicable method and relevant temperature and humidity conditions.
- Report the tested construction and units alongside the result.
Example
Illustrative example: a distributor sees water bead on a coated panel and wants to describe the coating as breathable. The demonstration did not measure vapour transmission. The wording requires appropriate evidence for the relevant assembly rather than an inference from droplet shape.
Scope and limits
Do not use this guide to select a building moisture-control system without appropriate technical assessment. It provides no vapour-transmission rating for NANOLAB products. Keep liquid repellency, absorption, vapour transmission and waterproofing claims distinct, and support each with evidence that actually evaluates that property.
Related guidance
- Nano Coating Stain Release vs Liquid Repellency
- Hydrophobic Ceramic Coatings: What Water Beading Tells You
- Defoaming and Air Release: Different Questions for a Coating Manufacturer
- Silicon, Silica and Silicone in Coating Discussions: Use the Correct Name
Technical references: ASTM E96: water vapour transmission methods. These sources describe their stated methods or products; they do not certify NANOLAB products or establish compatibility with an unlisted surface.
Ask NANOLAB about the exact product and intended use. Use the current product documentation for formulation-specific instructions.
Continue reading
Nano Coating Stain Release vs Liquid Repellency
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Defoaming and Air Release: Different Questions for a Coating Manufacturer
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