… And no-solvent paint spares the air

Science News, Nov 20, 1999 by P.W.

Most paints release toxic vapors that pose health risks and add to smog. Industry spends millions of dollars each year to meet increasingly tough environmental rules related to such volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (SN: 8/5/95, p. 92).

Now, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta say they have created a new type of paint that emits, at worst, only minute traces of the volatile chemicals. The coating, a type of polyester, gives off "essentially zero VOCs," Robert E. Schwerzel, a member of the research team, told SCIENCE NEWS. The scientists expect the coating eventually to be used by companies that paint aircraft or huge rolls of sheet metal that get cut up into appliance panels.

For now, however, curing the paint takes too long for practical use, Schwerzel says. A heat-activated catalyst initiates curing, which requires up to half an hour at 100 [degrees] C. The team is seeking funding to continue the research, he says.

The new paint squelches emissions because it contains no solvents--the main source of volatile chemical emissions from ordinary paints. Also, the manufacturing process removes other VOCs that stay in normal paint until it dries.

A little of the solventfree paint goes a long way because it consists of ring-shaped molecules that slip past each other. "Instead of a gallon, you might buy only several ounces," Schwerzel says.