The VOC Factor, Part 2- ADDITIVES

By Cynthia Challener

The fast part of this two part se­ries discussed the impact of VOC regulations on resin and paint man­ufacturers (CoatingsTech January 2005). In this second installment, the impact that reductions in VOC limits have had on additive produc­ers is presented. Although additives do not make up the majority of the final paint or coating formulation, they play a sig­nificant role in determining the per­formance capabilities of these prod­ucts.

As resin and paint manufacturers have responded to increasingly strict VOC regulations by switching to different technolo­gies (waterborne, powder, high solids, radiation cure), additive makers have reacted in kind, devel­oping new products that enable their customers to create formula­tions with the level of performance and functionality demanded by the marketplace. Throughout this pe­riod, they have faced and overcome significant challenges.

The difficulties posed by VOC re­strictions have been numerous and varied. The biggest challenge has been achieving required performances similar to conventional, lower-solids coating systems in to­day’s VOC-compliant coatings, ac­cording to Del Rector, manager, coating specialties technical service for Eastman Chemical Company.

“Everyone knows that additive pack­ages can be quite complex, with synergies and antagonisms among the various additives used. Compliance with VOC regulations, yielding the trend toward higher solids and waterborne coatings, has made that issue more prominent. Changes in the solvent composition of a coating can drastically alter the compatibility of the raw materials or, in the case of a move to water­borne formulation, completely alter the chemistry required for the mate­rials,” he explains. These changes can dramatically impact perform­ance.

“Significant investment in product development and reformu­lation is required on the part of both the additive supplier and the coating manufacturer in order to address this issue,” says Mr. Rector.