Now let's go back to that trip from the UK to Netherlands. If you had booked your car on the ferry from the Harwich to the Hook of Holland it's extremely likely that the paints on the car deck would have to have a high level of inflammability. To achieve this in such cases, one mineral based product makes way for another: titanium dioxide is replaced in part by alumina trihydrate. Don't be fooled by the complex name. This product helps puts out the fire in much the same way as the fire services – that is, with water.

Alumina trihydrate contains a large amount of chemically bound water. In the event of a fire, the product decomposes and this process is endothermic in that it absorbs heat which is thus removed from the combustion process. Water vapour is also liberated and this displaces oxygen which is needed for the fire to be sustained. The alumina that is left after the decomposition process forms a “ceramic” layer on the surface of the paint and this also helps to reduce combustion.

Mineral products also find use far closer to home than the ferry and in fact every time you get into your car you are driving a mobile collection of these versatile products. Take the underbody and engine compartment coatings. Typically the products have to put up with a very aggressive environment, which can range from the salt on the road in winter to the heat from the exhaust. To combat this environment, barytes is often used in the coating formulations because of its hardness, inertness and high density. The latter property also gives the added bonus of reducing the level of noise transmitted to the car interior.

Paint is usually applied with a brush, roller or possibly a spray gun, but there are products that can be applied as a dry powder and this process is known as powder coating. In this process a powder material is applied to a surface using an electrostatic or compressed air technique. The applied powder is then heated to its melting point, after which it flows to form a smooth film. These products have a very durable finish and are typically used on white goods such as fridges, washing machines and cookers.