Waterborne Bake Enamel Coating Exhibits Near Zero VOCs in Testing Phase
Finishers Unlimited (Sugar Grove, IL) has developed an ultra-low VOC, direct-to-metal waterborne paint for high-volume applications. Ultra Aqualite bake enamel coatings have exhibited a VOC rating of 0.05 lb/gal in current tests conducted by several of the company's clients.
According to Hank Godshalk, president of Finishes Unlimited and a chemist, said that the company has been working for four years to develop this patented coating technology. "The efforts of this department, headed by Pyotr Smelyanski, enabled us to develop Ultra Aqualite's formula to be as close to a zero-VOC level industrial paint as current technology will permit," Godshalk said when introducing the system.
Without giving too much information about the proprietary technology involved, Godshalk said chemists were challenged with finding zero-VOC pigment dispersions, the right system vehicle and good viscosity with formulations at reduced VOC levels, and to combine them into a one-component waterborne baking enamel. Additional objectives of Godshalk and his team were to provide a coating system that would not require major adjustments to current paint lines and that would be a viable alternative to powder coating.
As with most waterborne systems, the Ultra Aqualite product must be applied electrostatically in an isolated area. Thus far, dry times are expected to be 10 minutes in a 350°F oven, however, that could change depending on the temperature used.
The Ultra Aqualite system is currently undergoing testing by several of the company's clients. Smelyanski noted that the coating has performed very well under film property and accelerated durability testing, and that exposure testing is now underway. Godshalk also attests to the successful test results of the limited sample batches. Because the company is well-versed in adjusting small-batch processes to large-volume processes, Godshalk is confident the Ultra Aqualite coating will be available in full production runs fairly soon.
For more information, contact Finishes Unlimited, Wheeler Rd., PO Box 69, Sugar Grove, IL 60060; Phone (630) 466-4881.