VOC Testing Comparison: EPA Method 24 Versus the Cal Poly Pomona Method

By C. Michael Fobar, V.C. “Bud” Jenkins, Charles N. Millner, Jr

In recent years the paint and coatings industry has come under pressure to develop new products and formulations that reduce environmental hazards. Much of the focus on achieving this goal has been on the development of waterborne products containing reduced levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Both federal and local regulatory agencies have exerted pressure to develop low or zero VOC products. This regulatory push is illustrated, for example, in Chemical and Engineering News.¹ There was some early reluctance to move away from familiar solvent-based formulations which had proven to be effective.

As much as 20 years ago, initial laboratory studies addressed the development of new waterborne products.² All areas of product development have come under scrutiny in the effort to reduce VOC levels, while retaining application and performance characteristics.

Dougherty and Medina reported in the European Coatings Journal³ on new surfactant technology for waterborne systems. These surfactants display desirably low intrinsic VOC contents of about 1.5% as measured by the EPA Method 24.⁴ Howard and Manock have presented a discussion of polyurethane dispersions and high-solids waterborne systems which have zero VOC content.⁴