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GUIDE TO CLEANER TECHNOLOGIES: ORGANIC COATING REPLACEMENTS
Citation:
U.S. EPA. GUIDE TO CLEANER TECHNOLOGIES: ORGANIC COATING REPLACEMENTS. EPA/625/R-94/006, 1994.
Impact/Purpose:
Information
Description:
This guide describes available and emerging cleaner technologies that can be used to reduce emissions and wastes from paint and coatings applications. Environmental concerns and increasing costs of organic chemicals and metals are leading to changes in the formulation of organic coatings that reduce or eliminate the use of volatile solvents, heavy metals, and the generation of hazardous paint residues and waste. This guide gives information in choosing cleaner technologies for further analysis and in-plant testing. It is intended for facilities in all segments of the paints and coatings industry including applicators of architectural coatings, finish coatings for parts and assemblies, and maintenance coatings. Although the guide discusses reformulations of paints and coatings, the primary focus is on applications. Process descriptions allow engineers to evaluate options for alternative coating materials or equipment that can be considered for existing facilities, and is useful for evaluating opportunities for pollution prevention. Categories of technologies discussed include high solids coatings, powder coatings, waterborne coatings, electrodeposition, and ultraviolet/electronbeam radiation-cured coatings. Emerging technologies discussed include vapor injection cure coatings, supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent, radiation induced thermally-cured coatings and emerging new paint formulations that will require further field testing. The pollution prevention strategy section discusses approaches to VOC reductions and presents an outline that allows the industry to examine specific emission coatings issues and form a plan to move to cleaner pollution prevention technologies. A list of trade associations is presented to assist in further follow-up on these technologies.