Coatings World - May 2008

orants can have more than 240 grams per liter of VOCs. From this persepec-tive, green paints may not be as green as they are touted.

While many kinks still need to be worked out in the green arena, paint makers are moving in the right direction. Moving forward they will continue to tweak formulas to meet consumer demand for healthier products as well as an increasingly stringent regulatory environment. Building on the Ozone Transport Commission’s low VOC paint regulations in 2005, further regulations went into effect in certain areas of northern Virginia in January 2008. In May of this year, Connecticut will en act its own Architectural Industrial Maintenance (AIM) regulations, restricting non-low VOC paints. Massachusetss will en act its AIM regulations in January 2009.

Further legislation is expected at the federal level with a proposed implementation date of January 1, 2009.

GREENER PRODUCTS

Solving the issue of colorants has been a top priority for paint makers. The following products are well on that path with innovative colorant systems.

In November of last year Southern Diversified Products introduced Mythic Paint. The result of over six years of research with polymer research partners at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), the new paint is based on patented technology designed to improve latex paint at its core and has been formulated to offer all of the premium qualities of conventional water-based paints without the need for toxic solvents, according to the company. This means zero VOCs,

Southern Diversified’s Mythic Paint

THE 12 PRINCIPLES OF GREEN CHEMISTRY

1. It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it is formed.

2. Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product.

3. Wherever practicable, synthetic methodologies should be designed to use and generate substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the environment.

4. Chemical products should be designed to preserve efficacy of function while reducing toxicity.

5. The use of auxiliary substances (e.g. solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary whenever possible and, innocuous when used. 6. Energy requirements should be recognized for their environmental and economic impacts and should be minimized. Synthetic methods should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure.

7. A raw material feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practical.

8. Unnecessary derivatization (blocking group, protection and deprotection, temporary modification of physical and chemical processes) should be avoided whenever possible.

9. Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric reagents.

10. Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function they do not persist in the environment and break down into innocuous degradation products.

11. Analytical methodologies need to be further developed to allow for real-time in-process monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous substances.

12. Substances and the form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen so as to minimize the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions and fires.

Anastas, Paul T., and Warner, John C. Green Chemistry Theory and Practice, Oxford University Press, New York, 1998.

zero harmful toxins released into the air and no unpleasant odor when painting. This line includes a primer and flat ceiling paint in addition to flat, eggshell, semi-gloss and exterior satin varieties and uses a proprietary toxin-free coloring system and MatchRite Color Matching Software.

New York-based C2, a paint company founded in 1998 by Tom Hill, former chief chemist for Pratt & Lambert, recently launched LoVo, a low VOC paint line of 496 colors. In addition, C2 employs 16 colorants to create its colors. The official launch was held last month during the week leading up to Earth Day.

ArmourColor is a new division of UK-based Armourcoat. The company launched its ArmourColor range of decorative finishes with low VOCs to the U.S. market earlier this year at PACE 2008. The range of architectural coatings comprises three surface finishes including Perlata, Escenta and Tactite.