Sustainability and the Importance of Low VOCs
VOCs is a word that is frequently mentioned in conversations around paint. The term has been in the media so much that ordinary household consumers often times inquire about the paint being low or free of VOCs.
VOC is short for volatile organic content. These are volatile organic compounds are commonly used in water based acrylic paints as they help the binder to form more coherent films thus improving properties such as dirt pick up and scrub resistance. But just like solvents, these compounds are volatile and not good for health. They often result in allergic reactions and symptoms such as burning eyes and nose when a house owner enters into a freshly painted room.
VOCs also damage the environment by facilitating the formation of ozone in the presence of sunlight and NOx gases that are emitted from vehicular pollution. This contributes to smog ultimately bringing down the air quality and has negative health effects on the population.
Paints are classified according to their VOC content as follows : low VOC (<50g / L), ultra low VOC (<15g / L), and zero VOC (<5g / L) with 5 grams given as the lower limit due to measurement inaccuracies and instrument sensitivity.
Most acrylic paints in recent times are in the low VOC (<50g / L) category. Although this is considered low, these paints emit enough to have a lingering odour and cause allergic reactions in sensitive population groups.
Zydex Silicate Mineral paints have VOC levels < 7g / L due to the fact that the binders used are mineral in nature and do not need VOCs for film formation purposes. The extremely low amount of VOCs are incidental and come from the manufacturing of raw materials used in the paint making process rather than being added to the process itself. Another small source of VOCs is from the plastic compounds used to make the paint buckets as these are used to plasticize the bucket material.
Thus, with Zydex Silicate Mineral paints there is no residual smell while painting. The paint is suitable for allergy sufferers and the room can be occupied within half hour of the paint drying. The paints do not contribute to environmental pollution and are Green Pro(R) certified. These paints can be used to contribute to LEED ratings of green buildings.
