Low- and Zero- VOCs Environmental Impact
The goal with new “green” technology is to meet the demand for low- and zero- VOCs products without diminishing the performance of the higher VOCs products that were in demand in the past. The trend toward being “green” by companies in the Paint and Coatings Industry is still an important aspect of business operations.
For paint and coatings manufacturing companies Gellner Industrial formulates and manufactures polymers and resins to meet new performance standards that replace harmful VOCs containing formulas. Gellner Industrial’s low- and zero VOCs polymers and resins are vital to our customer’s because in their manufacturing process they don’t have to add VOC’s. Our products have been low- to- zero VOCs or less than 20 grams per liter for the past 10 years. Only one product of Gellner Industrial’s prior to that time had higher VOCs.
Solvents or VOCs makes paint and coatings have freeze thaw stability. Low- and zero- VOCs emulsion resins must be kept from freezing. Solution polymers for the most part are freeze-thaw stable without any solvents. To protect our companies’ products from freezing the temperature must be kept above 40 F.
With the development of new technologies not only has pollution been positively affected, but specifically water pollution has been affected. When consumers wash out their brushes or clean up paint they end up washing it down the drain. With the low- and zero- VOCs paint there are fewer solvents that go down the drain. A manufacturer of solvents that have higher VOCs would in theory be reduced, because there is less demand for these types of products. If less of these products are being produced, then that means less empty containers with residual solvents that may be dumped into landfills or sewers. This includes the household paint can, which there are millions each year, as well as the industrial drums left over from the manufacturing of paint.
Companies in the Industry will continue to strive to create new technologies, meet the low- and zero- VOCs environmental regulations, and meet the demands of their customers. Companies facing these challenges do so through increased R&D, Innovation, and manufacturing “green” products with bio-based raw materials.
Millions upon millions of gallons of paint and coatings when they dry are all admitting VOCs that deplete the ozone layer. So reducing the amount of VOCs or grams per liter largely impacts the amount of pollution emitted and the amount of a company’s carbon footprint put on the planet.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are liquids that can evaporate and have a carbon molecule. VOCs are emitted into the air as a gas naturally or chemically (man-made). In the Paint and Coatings Industry VOCs are emitted into the air as a gas when the paint and/or coating begin to dry after applied to architectural surfaces.
Companies in the Paint and Coatings Industry are hard pressed by environmental regulations to manufacture products with low- and zero- VOCs. The regulated amount of VOCs expressed in paint and coatings in California is 50 grams per liter. California is the state in the USA that sets the precedent for environmental regulations. Other states in the USA have been adopting the regulation of 50 grams per liter of VOCs in paint and coatings.
As the VOCs level or grams per liter of VOCs keeps reducing it brings on challenges to manufacture low- and zero- VOC products that perform as well as products that do have some VOCs. Some manufacturers are producing products with zero VOCs in paint and coatings, but they don’t work in every industry and in every application. So that is a challenge and a driving force in the Paint and Coatings Industry because of a lot of emphasis put on the prospect of global warming.
Gellner Industrial, LLC faces challenges in manufacturing water based acrylic polymers and resins that need to meet the environmental regulations as well as the needs of our customers that manufacture paint and coatings. Despite these challenges Gellner Industrial is able to comply with regulations and exceed the expectations of our customers.
For low- and zero- VOCs water based acrylic polymers and resins that Gellner Industrial manufactures the challenge faced is finding raw materials for manufacturing. The raw materials must substitute the VOC and try to match the performance of a paint and coating.
The solvent or VOCs can aid the finished product in a number of areas. Freeze-thaw stability, film formation, open time, flow, leveling and gloss. For example it is not as simple as taking out glycols and replacing them with Ottopol 25 25. The entire paint or coating formula has to be revised. A vast amount of Ottopol 25 25 would have to be added to have freeze-thaw stability; so this is not an option. Wonderwet will help open time, flow, leveling, and gloss. It will not aid in film formation. Other components or other polymers in the paint have to be designed to give good film formation without compromising block resistance. Ottopol 25 25 will help with block resistance.
The niche market of manufactured products that are low- and zero – VOC has been spearheaded by the evidence put forth regarding global warming. Paint and coatings manufacturing companies implement initiatives to comply by meeting the environmental regulations, be conscientious of their impact on the environment, become environmentally friendly, and be seen by the public as a “green” company.