Acrylic paint is a water-soluble, fast-drying paint made up of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion . These paints are water-soluble but have water-resistant properties when they dry. Acrylic painting can resemble a water-colour, opaque water or an oil painting depending on how much the paint is diluted with water or modified with any other medium like gel, mediums or pastes.

• Professional or Artistic Acrylics
• Student Acrylics
• Craft Acrylics
• Interactive Acrylics
• Exterior Acrylics

The pure acrylic emulsion belongs to the group of polymer emulsions. An emulsion is a stable mixture of components that do not mix well together. For example – oil and water can be mixed together, but after some time they settle down and separate. To force the water and acrylic polymer into a stable mixture, chemical emulsifiers are added until the water evaporates or gets absorbed. Usually, emulsions do not exhibit a static nature as they are liquids. Some other easy to identify examples of emulsions are – vinaigrettes, mayonnaise and homogenized milk.

Acrylic emulsion is a milky white polymer emulsion that is mainly produced when acrylic monomer undergoes polymerization by using an initiator in the presence of emulsifier with water as a solvent. Acrylic polymer emulsions are a water-based polymer that can be produced from methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-Ethylhexyl acrylate, acrylic acid, methyl acrylate etc. polymers with specific attributes for a variety of applications or uses can be produced by choosing appropriate hard and soft monomers.

• Acrylic polymer emulsionsand other water-based acrylic polymer products are used as important tools by industrial coating and graphic arts industries.
• It also possesses excellent water resistance properties that make it useful in the textile industry, such as – for flannelette blankets, non-woven fabrics and lamination.
• Selected acrylic polymer products are also used in civil engineering for – cement mortar, caulking and elastic cement.
• Acrylic polymer emulsions are used for its various benefits like UV resistance, elongation balance, water resistance, good adhesion etc.
• It can be used for making your own primer by diluting the emulsion paint with water by the ratio of 80/20.
• Emulsion polymers are also used for coating fast food bags, wrappers and paper plates to make the paper oil and grease resistant.

Emulsion paints are formulated using acrylic polymer emulsion, in the presence of ammonium persulfate, Dodecyl mercaptan, Potassium persulfate, anionic Dioctyl sulfosuccinate as surfactant and aerosol. The emulsion polymerization of acrylics with NaCN cellulose as protective colloid was used as binders for gloss paints of special rheological behaviour.

The work has shown that there was good compatibility between the binder and the pigment during paint formulation. This accounts for the good opacity and deep colour for paints formulated. The formulated paints were characterized for Physico-chemical properties like viscosity, gloss, hot box stability, gloss retention, opacity, colour, scrub resistance, adhesion etc. which yielded positive results showing that they could be used for indoor and outdoor coatings.

The basic difference is their material that is they are made up of different material.

• Acrylic paints have a glossy finish and are most popular with modern style art. Modern arts, which so often realize on the hard edge for effect, is perfectly suited to acrylic paints. Underpainting has no effect in acrylics but the intensity of colour which can be achieved in acrylic paints can not be compared by any other paints.
• Plastic emulsion paint is a water-based wall paint since it is based on acrylic, therefore, provides a smooth matte finish to the walls. These are so popular because of their quick drying properties good washability and ease of application
• Plastic paints can be washed by water and are applied in a single coat of paint. The most beneficial thing about these paints is that it brightens up the exterior of your house and reduce heat absorption in walls as it contains solar reflectivity technology as a result lower temperature in walls cut down the air conditioner bills in summer.