Impact of VOC guidelines on Architectural paints products

Author: parapaints | Posted: 03.07.2012

VOCs are emitted from numerous products that we use in day to day life. It includes harmless looking marker pens and correctional fluids. Even the office copier and photographic solutions are in the list of VOC emitting products. However, architectural paints are the single largest contributor to this hazard and thus guidelines formulated to control the VOC emission has a large impact on the architectural paints products and its production technology. Some of the major impacts are as follows.

Solvent reduction or change

Architectural paints along with any type of paint that you know about are primarily a mixture of solid elements and solvents. The VOCs are emitted from the solvent part. When applied over a surface, the solvent evaporates, leaving behind the solid part imparting the color and finish. Therefore, to control the level of VOC emission, it is necessary to control the solvent usage. After the new guidelines were enforced, paint companies, either decreased the usage of solvent or changed it with another type of chemical to meet to the changing guidelines.

Use of better technology

The change of solvent or reduction of its quantity makes the primary steps that were taken by the paint companies. However, for long term effect, better technologies were developed and are in use. Polycarbonate are now being used to provide clear wood finishes for interior painting. Alkyd urethane varnishes that had high level of VOC are replaced by water based Alkyds. The texture and the finish achieved by the water based alkyds are also better than what was achieved by using urethane varnishes.

Better results

The formulation of VOC usage guidelines and its enforcement not only forced the paint companies to change their methods but even proved beneficial for the paint applicators customers and also to the environment. Architectural paints from top companies like Benjamin Moore paints have lowest VOC emission and still are the best in their class. Earlier, quality of the paint was determined by the quantity of solvent, but now with better technology, even with reduced solvent level, you get better finish on use of Architectural paints from top brands like Benjamin Moore paints. Thus it proves to be beneficial for the end users. Moreover, reduced smell made it easy for the applicators to work with these paints. And the low level of VOC emission also proves to be beneficial for the environmental conditions. Thus the impact of VOC guidelines on architectural paints products proves to be beneficial both for people and for the environment.

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