Eco Friendly

LOW-VOC PAINT – Volatile Organic Compounds.

Historically, one of the major environmental challenges associated with paints and coatings has been due to high levels of VOCs and other species that can have negative effects on indoor air quality, contribute to smog formation and adversely affect long-term human health.

VOCs are organic chemicals that are mainly used as solvents for conventional paints. Once they enter into the air we inhale, they can go into our lungs and create a toxic effect on our bodies.

VOC's are gasses that are released from a liquid or solid material – these are what make some paints smell really strong.

The odor emanating from these paints can be quite suffocating. These chemicals can cause a variety of harmful effects on people who are exposed to it, depending on exposure. These effects can be mild, like minor irritation in the eyes, throat, nose or skin, or could cause a major burning sensation. Headaches, can also result from exposure to the chemicals in conventional paints. Some long-term effects include liver and kidney damage, and even cancer. These paints not only harm the human body, but also the environment. The by-products and waste of the synthetic chemical industry is detrimental to the environment and it leaves an immense carbon footprint.

Eco-friendly paints available in India can be classified into three types:

  • Zero-VOC paints: The level of VOCs in these paints is so low that they can be termed as ‘zero-VOC paints’. As per the EPA* standard, the total VOC content should be less than 5 gram per liter of paint.
  • Low-VOC paints: As specified by the EPA, these paints can have VOC concentrations ranging from 5 to 200 gram per liter of paint.
  • Natural paints: These paints are made of natural compounds such as tree resins, water, plant oil, essential oil and natural dyes. They do not contain any VOCs. Water-based paints do not have an odor, while oil-based paints have a smell.

*Since India does not have guidelines on such non-toxic paints, we have considered the standards formulated by the Green Seal Standard for Paints & Coatings and the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

As a thumb rule, darker colours and glossier paints have more VOC. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has the following standards for water-based coatings:

  • 5% or less VOC.
  • Absence of metals like Mercury and its compounds, Lead, Cadmium, Chromium VI and their oxides.
  • Less than 10 milligrams per kilogram free formaldehyde.
  • Absence of chemicals like halogenated solvents, benzene, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons and other aromatic hydrocarbons.

Now, all the VOCs in most paints come from the additives, and in many cases, the high-VOC additives are now being substituted by higher-boiling compounds that have the same effect on the paint properties but are less harmful to human being.

Lowering VOC levels in paints has been a central area of innovation for the paint industry, The shift to new materials has required much effort to negotiate the tradeoffs that arise among the various attributes of paints and coatings.

We at Champion Coatings Pvt.Ltd. follows the manufacturing process as per the standards and considering our social responsibility we uses that raw materials to make paint which contents the least VOC portion in them.

We have completely Eco Friendly Paint Manufacturing Process at our company.

What is Eco Paint?

An Eco or “Environmentally Friendly” paint is a paint that meets certain environmental or ecological credentials, The key things to consider when selecting an eco paint:

  • The manufacture process – this might be highly intensive, requiring minerals extracted from the earth in an environmentally damaging way or the process of creating the compounds might have a high environmental impact, such as distilling the binder or solvents.
  • The ingredients – These could be highly environmentally damaging, exacerbating air pollution for example.
  • Health risks – some compounds that are used in paints are hazardous and can have an effect on your health. These will be regulated so that they are kept at levels that are deemed acceptable.
  • Transport Impact – Pre-mixed paints are heavy and the transport of them will have an impact, so you might want to consider a local manufacturer.
  • Compromise – As with anything with Eco credentials, there might be some compromised you have you make, such as the range of colours available, the drying time of the paint and often the cost will be a little more.