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REVOLUTIONARY, environment-friendly car-paint system
developed by a world leader in science-based products
and services is now being introduced in the country.
DuPont
Low-Emission automotive paints, which are now available
in the market and set to replace those paints that are
considered harmful to the environment, are being
heralded as the car paints of the future. They were
developed and introduced in the country by DuPont
Philippines, which offers a wide range of innovative
products and services for markets, including agriculture
and food; building and construction; communications; and
transportation.
Aside
from being eco-friendly, the new DuPont Low-Emission car
paints are economical and work well with traditional
painting equipment. Consisting of 60-percent to
70-percent less volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or
solvents compared with regular acrylic car paint, the
new product lines made their successful debut in Europe
and the U.S., where strict legislations ban the use of
these chemicals.
Although
the newly enacted Philippine Clean Air Act regulates
pollutants from industrial smoke and gasoline emissions,
it does not yet specifically enforce any regulations on
the industrial use of VOCs in car paints unlike in the
US and in European countries. But ecologically
conscious car enthusiasts are taking environmentalism a
step forward by choosing to have their rides refinished
with environment-friendly paints.
A
majority of the automotive acrylic paints being sold in
the local market contain VOCs or solvents—chemicals that
are used to dissolve other materials. They are used to
dilute and transport pigment for easy application and
makes the coat of paint smooth and even. As the coat of
paint dries, these solvents dissolve into the
atmosphere, which are proven harmful and contribute
heavily to global warming. They cause chemical
reactions, which degrade the ozone layer, directly
contributing to the greenhouse effect and to the decline
of the weather systems and environment.
An
increase in the number of cars getting scraped and
scratched—in Metro Manila alone, there were 1,357,841
privately owned vehicles registered last year—translates
into an increase in the number of paint jobs, which
means higher VOC emissions which will eventually be a
serious environmental problem.
But with
the introduction of the DuPont Low-Emission paints,
DuPont Philippines hopes that a new trend in
eco-friendly industrial operations is expected.
Aside
from having lower levels of thinning agents in the
paint, it only takes about one-and-a-half coatings to
achieve the desired coverage as against the three to
four coatings for regular acrylic paints. This
translates into less paint usage and less costs.
On top
of this, DuPont Low-Emission paints also require less
drying time, reducing the waiting time between coat
applications. This drastically cuts down the time it
takes to paint a car. Now, it only takes 3.54 hours to
completely paint a door panel, while it takes 6.36 hours
to paint the same type of door with regular acrylic
paint. And they also spray smoothly and work well with
traditional equipment on regular settings, eliminating
the need for additional investment for special
equipment. |
