Volatile organic compounds waterborne paints

Clausen P.A., Wolkoff P. and Nielsen P.A. (1990) Long term emissions of volatile organic compounds from waterborne paints in environmental chambers. Proceedings of Indoor Air 93, Helsinki, Finland, Vol. 3, 557-562. 

Car paints are cured with heat in special oven lines. Electrodeposition coatings (used as anticorrosive primers) contain only small amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOC), whereas intermediate and topcoats release considerable amounts of VOCs. Intermediate coats based on waterborne resins have been developed to decrease VOC emission and are already being used in some automotive plants. Basecoats, as part of base-clear topcoat systems, contain very high amounts of volatile organic solvents. Waterborne basecoats were developed more recently to lower this source of solvent emission. Some car manufacturers are operating pilot lines with the aim of introducing waterborne basecoats into their production processes. Many car producers in the United States and Europe have already switched their topcoat lines over to waterborne basecoats [11.3]. 

In conjunction with hydrogen donors such as dimethylaniline and triethyla-mine, benzils and various quinones, such as anthraquinone, 9,10-phenanthrene quinone, and camphor quinone (see Chart 10.4), can be used as visible-light-sensitive photoinitiators [8]. Some of these compounds are used to cure dental restorative systems (see Section 11.3). Another application concerns the curing of waterborne pigmented latex paints, which do not contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) [48]. 

The most significant trend over recent years is the growth of waterborne paints and the decline in solvent-borne paints in view of environmental and health and safety requirements to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by organic solvents. 

Clausen, P.A. (1993) Emission of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds from waterborne paints-the effed of the film thickness. Indoor Air, 3, 269-75. 

Solvent A liquid, usually volatile, which is used to reduce viscosity. This is essential in both manufacturing and application processes. Solvents evaporate during application and drying of paint and therefore do not become a part of the dried film. In conventional coatings the solvents are organic compounds (Alcohols, Esters and Ketones) whilst in waterborne systems there is a mix of organic solvents with water. 

---