Monthly Archives: December 2011

Q&A with EonCoat’s Lead Scientist Sameer Patel

Posted on by

We recently cornered Sameer Patel, EonCoat’s lead scientist, to ask him a few questions about what his work has meant to the development of EonCoat and what he sees as the next major trend in “paint tech”:

Sameer, what does role as lead scientist at EonCoat entail?

My role is to not only develop coating products, but to make those products as useful as possible for both contractors and customers.

Can you tell us more about the 2 component system used with EonCoat? What are the two primary “ingredients” for EonCoat and why are they stored separately?

Our coating has two components very similar to epoxies, polycarbonates and urethanes. Our two components are generally called part A and part B. Part A contains acidic minerals and part B contains basic minerals. When these parts mix and are sprayed, they form the final product (binder) on the substrate. Because the two parts are reactant when mixed, they are kept separately either in cartridges or buckets for storage purposes.

Once EonCoat has been applied, the resulting coating continues to strengthen for years. How long does EonCoat take to cure and why does it continue to strengthen over time?

Since our coating is based on the ceramics, it will change its microstructure over an extended period of time and gain strength. For comparison purposes, it can be likened to the chemical process with naturally occurring stones. While it gains strength over a period of time, it cures in only 10 minutes, reducing equipment downtime and saving costs in the “watching paint dry” category

If the current trend in the painting/coating industry is “green paint” where do you see the industry going next? Will there be a continued focus on green paint alternatives or do you see the industry focusing on innovation in different areas?

The “green paint” trend will continue for years to come and I’m sure several new types of paints and coatings will come to market for consumers during this transition period. In the future, I think innovators and manufacturers will end up using similar materials to what we are using right now for EonCoat.

What’s your favorite aspect of your work at EonCoat? What drives you as lead scientist?

As a lead scientist I certainly like to work on formulations developments which can give unique properties, but I also enjoy working on how to bring formulations to market by making them first work at production level and spray level.

*****

A big ‘Thank You!’ to Sameer for taking the time to tell us a bit about EonCoat and his role as lead scientist. Any questions for Sameer not addressed above? Leave your question in the comments and we’ll ask him ourselves!

VOCs Explained: Why All Paints Should Be Two Component Sprays

Posted on by

We’ve discussed VOCs on this blog in the past, but it’s time to go a bit more in-depth. There are more than 10,000 chemicals that can be used in normal paints. About 300 of these are toxins and 150 are known carcinogens. Enter VOCs, one of the main contaminants of indoor air quality.

VOCs are chemicals that turn into breathable gases at room temperature and can contain benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, mercury and many other harmful chemicals. In the United States, after automobiles, paint-related products are the second largest source of VOC emissions. Ever gotten a whiff of a fresh coat of paint? The smell of a fresh coat of paint is actually the smell of VOCs!

In the past, one of the issues slowing the widespread use of paints with low or no VOCs was that it was difficult to create different colors and hues. The chemicals used to create different paint colors and tints are high in VOCs and as a result, the color options with low or no VOCs paint was limited. While this has changed with new ways to color paints without VOCs, it was an obstacle in the widespread adoption of paints without VOCs.

EonCoat, and other no VOCs paints, have no odor because of the lack of VOCs within the paint. Normal paint requires solvents to keep it in liquid form and to keep it from drying in the can. The problem with this approach is that most solvents are high in VOCs. By separating EonCoat’s two main components, we are able to avoid using VOCs at all. A two component spray system is used to apply the paint. Mixing the two chemicals together at the last second negates the need for solvents and the dangers associated with VOCs.

Before your next indoor paint job consider the paint you’re using for the project. What levels of VOCs are present? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) measures VOCs in grams per liter. According to the EPA, paint is low in VOCs if there are less than 250 gm/l in latex paints and 380 gm/l in oil-based paints. Low VOCs paints, like Olympic Premium Interior are a step in the right direction but are still releasing harmful gases into the air you breathe.