Milk paint is a nontoxic milk-based paint. It can be made from

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...

and

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

, generally with

pigment A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compou ...

s added for color. In other recipes,

borax Borax is a salt ( ionic compound), a hydrated borate of sodium, with chemical formula often written . It is a colorless crystalline solid, that dissolves in water to make a basic solution. It is commonly available in powder or granular for ...

is mixed with milk's casein protein in order to activate the

casein Casein ( , from Latin ''caseus'' "cheese") is a family of related phosphoproteins ( αS1, aS2, β, κ) that are commonly found in mammalian milk, comprising about 80% of the proteins in cow's milk and between 20% and 60% of the proteins in hum ...

and as a preservative. Milk paint has been used for thousands of years. It is extremely durable, often lasting for hundreds of years if protected from the elements. It is made of all-natural ingredients, and is very safe and non-toxic once applied. Because oil based and acrylic based paints are made in vast quantities using natural linseed oil and sometimes petrochemicals, their price can be low relative to the price of milk paint, which is sold in small quantities. Another impediment to using milk paint for some is that it does not come pre-mixed. Milk paint is commonly sold in the powder form, which is a combination of casein and lime. Once water is added, the lime activates the casein and yields a durable but caustic paint that can be used only on porous surfaces. Before the invention of acrylics, most house paints were made from oil and less frequently casein. There is a vast number of historical production documents that outline the manufacture of milk paint on an industrial scale. This type of manufacturing is being revived on a small scale, so that the advantages of an all natural paint can be combined with the convenience of a ready made paint that requires no mixing. Milk paint made from the borax casein recipe keeps for six months or more, if sealed very tightly to retain the moisture. With time, however, the casein binder will break down. Once lime casein milk paint has been mixed, it must be used within a day, or a little longer if refrigerated.

Uses

Milk paint can be used to create authentic reproductions and replicas of antique furniture, or modern pieces that do not rely on any connection with the past.Terri McGra
Additional Tips: Milk Paint
Prime Painting Tips Tuesday, September 29, 2009 Central Florida News 13

References

{{Reflist Milk Paints Environmental impact of paint

Uses

See also

References