Sustainable innovation for architectural paints

 
In this work, the environmental impact profiles of two water-based architectural paints were compared applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. Firstly, two generic non-commercial formulas of standard paint (ABNT NBR 15079) were developed: 'Paint-A' with conventional raw materials and 'Paint- B' containing some alternative raw materials, which would hypothetically contribute to a better environmental performance of the final product. Then both formulas were reproduced in the laboratory and the samples of the paints were submitted to technical performance tests. With the data obtained, the reference flows were determined to fulfill the functional unit defined by covering 36 m2 of interior masonry wall by a minimum period of 4 years (ABN NBR 15575-1). Afterwards, the life cycle of the paints was modeled and analyzed in the SimaPro 8.2 software and in the LCA.