Coatings industry environmental control

Pressures on the Coatings Industry Raw Materials and Finished Products Energy Costs Environmental Control U.S. Coatings Suppliers... 

The coatings industry, like many others, has been ravaged since 1973 by sharp rises in the costs of materials used in the manufacture of products. Both producers and coatings customers have had to make major adjustments to accommodate the escalating costs (and frequent lack of availability) of the fuels and energy they require for processing. In addition, major expenditures have been made for equipment and systems to control environmental emissions and to minimize worker exposure to toxic materials. 

Environmental Control. Three types of pollution can be attributable to operations associated with the coatings industry (as well as other, similar industries) air (from coatings production and application) water (process and waste water discharged to sewers, streams, and lakes) solid (solid waste generation to landfills). 

Innovations in coatings are happening even faster in the 70 s, as this industry and its many diverse cus-tcaners face up to higher petrochemical costs and to stiffer environmental controls. All the while, coatings continue to compete with other surfaces metallic, plastic and elastomeric. 

Mercury inhalation has been linked to Alzheimer disease and autism, and limitation to mercury emissions is currently the subject of legislation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ERA) who will impose limits on mercury emissions from coal-tired boilers in the utilities industry. Mercury control techniques currently used in the industry include the use of flue-gas desulfurization (EGD) units and, as a result of mercury measurements around these units, it is known that oxidized and not elemental mercury is removed by the EGDs. Consequently, one method to increase mercury removal by this type of unit is to introduce a catalyst to promote the oxidation of mercury. Mercury measurement [128,129] led to the discovery that a gold-coated sand sample in a simulated flue-gas environment absorbed elemental mercury until an equilibrium was established and desorption of oxidized mercury began. Individual components of the simulated flue-gas have been evaluated for their effect on the oxidation of mercury, and it was found that nitrogen dioxide and hydrogen... 

Biocides are by their nature intrinsically toxic, in this respect any adventitious release to the environment requires an assessment of the relative risk posed. The 5th Environmental Action Plan of the EU is committed to a substantial reduction in the use of biocides. In particular, the Biocidal Products Directive (98/08/EC) is concerned with controlling biocidal products in the market place. Compliance with this directive is required from all member states by 14th May 2000. In this context, a strategy to control the release of biocides is timely, if continued protection is to be afforded to industry and consumer alike. One approach to controlling the release of biocide is to encapsulate in an inert inorganic framework, prior to incorporation in the coating.1... 

The US Environmental Protection Agency recently announced its intention to develop and implement new Clean Air Act Standards for industrial coatings operations within the next year. These emission standards will eventually require companies involved in fabric printing, coating and dyeing operations to comply with Maximum Achievable Control standards. The Hazardous Air Pollutants emission limits that will apply to facilities and the impact on fabric coating operations are discussed. USA... 

Until recently, the use of enzymes in the paper and pulp industry was not cortsidered technically or economically feasible. Quite simply, suitable enzymes were not readily available, except for the limited use of enzymes to modify starch for paper coatings. However, research by scientific institutions and enzyme producers has led to the development of new enzymes that offer significant benefits for the industry, particrrlarly from the environmental point of view. Two examples of applications, in addition to the starch modification, made possible by new enzyme developments are given here bleach boosting and pitch control. 

Customized catalysts are also available for more specialized environmental uses. For instance, Pt/mordenite catalysts are used for the treatment of air pollutants in spray painting and coating workshops, and also to control emission in benzoic anhydride manufacturing industries. Pt-V205-S04 /mordenite is sometimes employed to purify flue gases containing sulfur compounds. Metal-based catalysts are ideal for such applications, because they work at low reactant concentrations (4-6 g/m ), high space velocities... 

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