VOCs Explained: Why All Paints Should Be Two Component Sprays

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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.

What’s That Smell?

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We’ve all smelled it, that fresh coat of paint! For you it might mean a job well done, but for the person living or working there, it’s just the beginning of that “fresh coat” headache. So what’s the cause of all those wonderful smells? VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds.

Manufacturers use VOCs to keep chemicals separate in the paint. The VOCs must evaporate for the paint to dry correctly and the odor we smell is that evaporation process. The benefits of using paints with no or low VOCs are that there is no risk of fire and there are no odors or paint headaches.

Many paint companies are beginning to offer low VOC paint products. Some are even offering paints or coatings with no VOCs, although it’s still not an easy task to find high performance corrosion resistant coatings with no VOCs (EonCoat industrial coating has no VOCs). Put that mask away and start painting!

We want to hear what you think. Have you ever had someone complain of the fumes when you had just finished a coat? Have you ever gotten headaches from paint fumes? Sound off in the comments.

EonCoat Coating Offers Safety in Confined Spaces

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Nearly all coatings have two very serious health hazards for use in confined spaces, toxic fumes and flash point.

Flash Point in confined spaces becomes a non-issue as EonCoat is completely non-flammable and cannot ignite

Flash point is the temperature at which the vapor from a volatile material can ignite in air. In practice this means that in a confined space, when spraying a coating with a flash point lower than the temperature in the space, the vapors can ignite and explode if someone strikes an arc. It is astonishing how many protective coatings have a flash point lower than the typical temperatures seen in a tank. Contractors go to great lengths to recirculate air to keep the concentrations of vapor low. They ban smoking and equipment that might cause a spark, but the work is inherently dangerous. EonCoat vapors cannot be ignited no matter what the temperature is and no matter what spark occurs (even a direct flame) because the coating is completely non-flammable.

Zero Toxicity means no more headaches and no danger of succumbing to fumes

The other issue is toxicity. All of us who have worked within confined spaces for a time, have known at least one person who had to be pulled from a tank or other confined space because of toxic vapor inhalation. We do everything we can to prevent it. We blow fresh air through the tank. We sniff the tank before we enter. We stand a watch outside the tank every second someone is in a confined space. We talk about it at safety meetings. We make people wear a full respirator. Yet it happens – people are overcome by fumes. EonCoat is a huge step in the right direction. It has zero toxicity. While it is always appropriate to have fresh air flowing anytime someone is working in a confined space, with EonCoat you don’t have to worry that someone you are responsible for is in danger from toxic fumes.

A contractor working with EonCoat put all this in perspective for me last week when he said “I don’t go home with a headache anymore.”

For more information about confined space safety visit http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/shipyard/shiprepair/painting/index_paint.html