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Q&As since 1989


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Low VOC paint formulation and market forecast

Could you give me some advice? I have a background in paints and coatings and an engineering Ph.D. Having had difficulties in finding employment at a laboratory or other research organization, I have been earning a living by technical writing. I am considering writing about paints and coatings topics for a technical area market forecast. My choice was low VOC coating. I know that there will be new rules soon for OEM's and that AIM standards are still fairly new.

Now, after that long preamble, what I would like to know is what is different about formulation of low VOC paints vs. high VOC paints. Is it basically replacement of solvent or is there more to it? Is it different depending upon the application, say automotive vs. architectural? I can look at MSDS to figure this out, but why reinvent the wheel? A little advice from you will help a lot. Any ideas about forecasts for low VOC paints and coatings?

Gretchen L. Graef
Sacramento, California
1999

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1999

Gretchen,

Thanks for your interest in the paint and coatings industry. There definitely is a need for some technical writing about the future of our industry as it applies to environmental concerns.

The industry is in flux with not just regulation but with enforcement of the regs. Enforcement is difficult and expensive and involves the govt. that relies on the "fox in the chicken coup" for technical information on products, present and in the future. Enforcement regs have been bent or watered down by big money interests and the environment has been the sacrificial lamb.

In my opinion, there are products available (waterborne) that meet the regs but there has been some pressure from the lobbyists to keep them from market for two reasons. 1) large inventories of non compliant products and litigation capacity to stall compliance for years to come. My suggestion is for you to contact AQMD in CA to see if your expertise can be used in their efforts. Welcome aboard. Pete.

Pete Bagley
- Reno, Nevada

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2000

Hello there! you have very interesting information here, congratulations for this website.

I don't know if you can help me. I have never produced vinyl-acrylic paint (water-based) for exterior application primarily, I know that it needs to have the following ingredients:

• -water
• -pigments:
  • a)titanium dioxide [on eBay or Amazon]
  • b)color pigment
• -antifoaming
• -some dispersion agent or surfactant
• -a thickener agent
• -a bactericide
• -a pH regulator
• -a vinyl-acrylic resin
• -a charge like calcium carbonate

What I really don't know is the proportions or amounts recommended for each of them, and if I'm missing some other recommended ingredient. I would really appreciate if you could give me some information about this.

Jesus Alejandro Arrieta Arce
- Mexico City, Mexico