Application Studies in 50 VOC Gloss Paints

By Greg Monaghan,

In order to comply with the California South Coast Air Quality Management District 50 gm/liter VOC regulations for architectural gloss paints, many companies are evaluating binders designed for use at low VOC. Many paint manufacturers are concerned that the lower levels of glycol in these paints may lead to open time and flow issues and customer complaints. While professional painters may be able to adapt their painting techniques if necessary, the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) painter needs paints which can be applied easily and give an excellent painted finish with a variety of tools and techniques.

The purpose of these application studies was to characterize the application properties of 50 VOC gloss paints and optimize formulations or application techniques to give the best possible appearance. A test for brushed flow out during dry was used to identify several key formulating factors which can affect appearance. Optimized 50 VOC gloss formulations were compared to several commercial 150 VOC and 250 VOC gloss latex paints. The results of these studies indicate that an excellent finish is ob­tainable in 50 VOC paints through a combination of formulation techniques and some slight modifications of traditional application methods.