Strategy to change solvents in paints and coatings

 
The production and consumption of paints and coatings in Europe was about 7.0 million m.t. in 2010 of which 2.7 million m.t. is solventborne (Eurostat, PRODCOM (2010)). The value of the total paint is about 17 billion Euros. There is a number of legislations to follow such as Biocide Product Directive (BPD, EC/528/2012), REACH (EC/1907/2006), VOC directive (2004/42/EC) and CLP (CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemical Substances and mixtures) which is expected to come into force under 2015). The general chemical regulation REACH and the VOC (volatile organic compounds) are legislations with impact on this talk. The aim is as always to find solvents (and other compounds) having the same performance as the traditional compounds but with an environmentally better performance and with a similar cost as the traditional solutions. A traditional investigation to replace a solvent as a dispersion medium for polymers is often based on looking at one solvent a time. It is very time-consuming and also difficult to perform in a rational and effective way. Furthermore, if a mixture of solvents is needed then the workload will be unsurmountable. The work can become much more rational and effective by using a useful concept and a database. In this way a skilled person can select interesting solvents and then go to the laboratory to check the ideas. We will below outline such a methodology and as an example show how xylene can be replaced.