Can unused acrylic paints survive freezing temperatures?

[ssculptor 4,162]

Now that I have moved back into my repaired home (after a house fire in December 2015) I found my paints and discovered that they were stored in an unheated front porch all that time. 

Question, How well do acrylic paints for models fare during freezing conditions?

I use both model and artist acrylic paints - I wonder if there is a difference.

 

Artist oil paints do well in freezing conditions. Some artists store their pallets of oil paints in the freezer. 

 

But I am curious about acrylics.

 

Anybody know anything?

 

Here is an article on artists acrylics.

 

https://www.thoughtco.com/acrylic-paints-and-freezing-temperatures-2577393

 

Thanks,

 

Stephen

[Jennings Heilig 15,813]

Yes.  Not sure for how long, but I've had acrylics (mainly Tamiya) in storage where they were subjected to below-zero (F) temperatures for weeks, and they're perfectly fine.

[chrish 4,763]

After a divorce I stored all my hobby stuff including Tamiya and Gunze acrylics over two summers and one winter in a small storage trailer. The winter hit temperatures of -30 for over two months... what can I say it's canada, it was a mild winter! Anyway the paints and glues etc. were stored (unintended as it was) unprotected in conditions from -30 to +30 when I finally got it all sorted out the paints were still good.... so in my experiment I'd say they're ok to subject to freezing.

[nichenson 647]

Alcohol and cellulose-based acrylics will be fine in the cold weather.  The freezing point of IPA is -128.2F.  Toluene is -139F.  So on, and so on.

 

However, any water-based acrylics or even those based loosely on more acidic compounds do not fare well.  Just ask Badger about their recent recall.  A lot of customers over the winter found that their stynylrez primer was left on doorsteps and exposed to freezing temperatures for an extended period of time.  This rendered the paint useless.  Mission Models, AK, and Mig all use mainly water for their solvents.

 

Best case rule of thumb is that if the paint actually solidified, then throw it out.  If it remained liquid, then it should be ok.

[Stevepd 708]

I model in my unheated garage and only use acrylic paints. It can get chilli and when the brush wash cup freezes over the paints are fine to use and will take it.

 

Steve.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Stevepd

[ssculptor 4,162]

Thanks fellows,

I guess I will have to experiment to see how the particular paints take to the surface.

The empirical method usually works.

[MARU5137 16,167]

MY sister the artist used to deliberately leave her paints in the college freezer .. her thought was that the chemical balance from being left in the cold made her paintings feel different... no idea what she meant then and or Now..

 

But they still worked fine.

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by MARU5137

[is it windy yet? 207]

I was told that Mission Models clear coats didn't survive being frozen. My local shop said they were out of stock because the last shipment froze on delivery. They said you could tell the paint froze it was separated and wouldn't remix.