A perfect match
A recent technical article describes how a novel binder for water-borne wall paints can help to reduce the binder as well the titanium dioxide content in paints while maintaining a high scratch resistance and ensure meeting high eco-label standards.
The article “A perfect match” in European Coatings 10+11/2020 describes a novel styrene-acrylic binder that meets the 2018 criteria for the RAL UZ 102 label (Blue Angel) in the “low emission interior wall paints” category.
To further improve sustainability of the authors, describe a series of paint samples with the binder content reduced in increments of 1 % from 17 % to 7 %. Pigment and fillers were adjusted accordingly to ensure all paint samples had the same solid content. As the article shows, the formulations can achieve a wet scrub resistance class of 2 end even one if the binder content is slightly higher at 8 %.
Since titanium dioxide is an expansive raw material with a high CO2-footprint as well as an expansive one with a classification as H351 carcinogen, category 2, tests were done how to reduce the TiO2 content. Here tests showed that a 10–11 % reduction in TiO2 (from 20 % to 17.8 %) is viable while keeping the paint contrast ratio above 99.5 %. The wet scrub resistance of the paint was not affected, therefore the optimised formulation still meets the EN 13300 class 1 requirements.
The complete article by the authors Jan Pilger and Thomas Bernhofer can be found at our online library European Coatings 360°. The article has further information on the conducted tests and data about other properties like pigment stabilisation, contrast ratio and more. Here you will also find a recording of a webcast of Thomas Bernhofer about this new binder.
