New drum coatings offer alternative route to EPA compliance

Pigment & Resin Technology

ISSN: 0369-9420

Article publication date: 1 April 1999

27

Keywords

Citation

(1999), "New drum coatings offer alternative route to EPA compliance", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 28 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1999.12928baf.009

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited


New drum coatings offer alternative route to EPA compliance

New drum coatings offer alternative route to EPA compliance

Keywords Coatings, Kemira

Now introducing the first compliant high solids coating for drums, Kemira Coatings believes it is the only supplier in the marketplace to be able to offer manufacturers a genuine choice between water- and solvent-based alternatives for EPA compliance.

There is said to be a general feeling in the drum industry that its tough, self-imposed VOC limit of 290g/l can only be achieved with water-based paint. Kemira Coatings has pushed ahead with the development of waterbased products, including a fully recyclable system currently in use at a number of sites in mainland Europe.

In addition, Kemira has collaborated with a major drum manufacturer to develop a variant of its Tematherm HS stoving enamel, with solvent content reduced to 290g/l.

Kemira's water-based products claim low cost conversion and easy handling, with the economical benefits of reduced fire risk and simplified cleaning. However, manufacturers may encounter an additional cost in upgrading pre-treatment, and there may be economic advantages in an alternative which is more tolerant of substrate condition.

Suited to less sophisticated pre-treatment, the new coating gives drum manufacturers an alternative route to EPA compliance. It can be introduced with little or no equipment changes, and cures rapidly to reduce process costs.

On the face of it, a high solids alternative falls somewhere between conventional non-compliant finishes and water-based finishes in terms of materials costs. However, its higher solids content will enable manufacturers to achieve a finish quality comparable with existing products but with reduced material usage. Kemira Coatings is accumulating considerable experience in assisting manufacturers to fine tune application performance to satisfy both quality and economic demands.

Also now seeing particular interest from drum manufacturers is Kemira's Ecopaint, said to be a fully recyclable stoving enamel which eliminates waste disposal costs by allowing paint overspray to be re-used in production. Not only does Ecopaint solve EPA compliance problems but, with waste disposal costs rising steadily, also shows anincreasingly attractive payback on investment.

Ecopaint is a water-based paint which is applied in a water-wash spraybooth. Overspray is collected in the water and processed using a patented ultrafiltration system, supplied by Kemira, which concentrates it into re-usable paint, returning clean water to the spray booth.

Surface properties include corrosion resistance and performance at least equal to that of solvent-based coatings.

Kemira Coatings can match virtually any colour with a rapid turnround, both in the new Tematherm HS and, for those manufacturers dedicated to the waterbased route, its Fontetherm water based coatings.

Details are available from Kemira Coatings Limited. Tel: 0121-525 5665; Fax: 0121-523 2787; Internet: www.kemira-coatings.co.uk

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