Formulating Solutions: Meeting VOC Regulations with Coalescents
For decades, contractors and consumers have used latex paints in architectural applications, coating the interior and exterior walls of homes and businesses. The ease of soap and water cleanup and lower odor than in solventborne systems has led to an increase in the use of waterborne paints in architectural, industrial maintenance and automotive coatings.
Recently, increasingly stringent environmental regulations have required changes in how latex paints used in architectural applications are formulated. A variety of formulating methods and new raw materials have been developed to help paint manufacturers meet the new regulations. Now formulators can meet VOC regulations while maintaining performance properties in architectural coatings. The following provides an overview of formulation techniques to help balance performance and regulatory compliance in latex paints for architectural applications.