that helps reduce the depletion of natural resources due to
longer cleaning and recoat cycles.
Sto’s Anthony described how the product works. “Dirt particles are unable to obtain a hold on the leaves of the lotus plant
and simply flow off with the rain droplets that fall on the plant,”
he said. “The StoCoat Lotusan exterior coating possesses a
highly water-repellent surface similar to that of the lotus leaf.
Its microstructure has been modeled on the lotus plant to minimize the contact area for water and dirt.
“The surface additionally offers enhanced hydrophobic properties,” he continued. “Dirt simply runs off with the water that
falls on the facade. The facade remains dry and attractive even
on sides which are particularly exposed to the weather.”
On the supplier front, earlier this year, Celanese introduced the EcoVAE line of vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) emulsion polymers, with a new product for interior paints—
EcoVAE 401. “EcoVAE emulsion polymers will allow paint
manufacturing companies to develop low VOC, low odor, APE-free interior low gloss paints that perform as well or better
than traditional coalescent containing technology on the market today,” said Mitchell. “EcoVAE 401 represents a true
upgrade over vinyl acrylic technology. It offers superior paint
film performance without the need for coalescent agents, as
well as a better value. In North America, Celanese is developing new EcoVAE products that will provide the same type
of green solutions for additional coatings.
“EcoVAE 401 has been engineered to offer a balance of product performance and environmental profile. It enables the formulation of paints with less than 50 g/l VOC to nearly zero
VOC,” Mitchell continued. “The surfactant technology used in
EcoVAE 401 allows high performance that is comparable to
APE-stabilized surfactants used in other emulsions. And
EcoVAE offers specific advances for interior paints in wet
edge, touch-up performance, scrub resistance, as well as the
new brand’s hallmark low odor and emissions.”
Troy Corp.’s sales of its Polyphase 678 and Polyphase 663
have increased annually as customers reformulate their coat-
Photo: Sto Corp.
As shown in this uncoated (left) and StoCoat Lotusan coated (right)
example, this high quality coating is resistant to soiling and features a self-cleaning effect that is ideal for new construction and
recoat projects over concrete, stucco, EIFS, and fiber cement
board substrates.
ings, caulks, sealants and other construction materials to conform to more stringent green building standards. “Both of these
products have been used in coatings meeting the Green Seal
standards,” said Faherty. “At the American Coatings Show earlier this year, we introduced Mergal 753 as a zero VOC, zero
formaldehyde and neutral pH wet state preservative to complement our Polyphase offerings for green coatings.”
Troy has also introduced a zero VOC multipurpose wetting
additive, Troysol ZLAC, based on its successful LAC technology. “In addition to these products mentioned, we offer additional dry film and in-can preservatives that meet the standards
for green coatings,” Faherty continued. “Our goal is to provide
products that not only meet the definition of green, but significantly contribute value to our customer’s product.”
Lubrizol offers a broad portfolio of polymers—acrylic emulsions and polyurethane dispersions—and additives that are
waterborne and/or 100% solid products, with a focus on low or
no VOC containing systems. “We are striving to continually
reduce and eliminate environmentally sensitive components,
and are looking more closely at the application demands of our
customers’ products to see how we can make more impact on
the total process of using paints and coatings in building construction,” said Dan Latas, marketing manager, North
America, paints, coatings and adhesives raw materials,
Lubrizol Advance Materials.
“One recently introduced product which addresses more
than just VOC compliance is our Turboset 2025 for coatings
for wood floors,” Latas continued. “It is a unique waterborne
self cross-linking urethane dispersion that gives strong performance from a one-component system, comparable to many
two-component systems. In addition to allowing formulators
to meet VOC limits for wood flooring, the one-component
nature—no cross-linker—simplifies and speeds up the contractor’s application time, and reduces waste because the
unused product does not have to be disposed of as the pot life
expires. In addition, by eliminating the cross-linkers used in
two-components systems, Turboset 2025 also eliminates the
cause of many serious health issues for contractors.”
International Specialty Products (ISP) has developed
zero-VOC aqueous biocidal products as part of its
CleanGuard initiative, whose mission is to provide low or
no VOC biocidal protection using well accepted active
ingredients specially formulated for safe handling during
paint manufacture and use. “None of the new products contains organic solvents,” said William Woods, marketing
manager, industrial biocides, ISP. “They also have less
impact on the environment and are safer to use than
conventional biocidal products. In addition, the
accompanying manufacturing processes are designed
to minimize environmental impact.
“Our customers are looking to manufacture low- to no-VOC paints with no post-application impacts. The ingredients we provide must contribute to, not detract from this
ultimate objective; otherwise, they will not have a place in
their paint formulations,” Woods added. “The Fungitrol 900
series mildewcides and Nuosept 498 in-can preservatives in
our CleanGuard family are zero VOC, water-carried formu-
