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Paint stripper formulations in an effort to reduce the health, safety and toxicity concerns related to methylene chloride, toluene, and methanol, maintaining similar performance.
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Background Paint strippers have wide commercial application due to the relative ease of use when compared to various physical paint removal methods (scraping/sanding). Many of these paint removers are solvent based, utilizing methylene chloride, toluene, and methanol. While these solvents yield significant paint removal, they may also present potential health, safety, and environmental concerns to both the user and the surrounding environment. These solvents are listed as Hazardous Air Pollutants by the U.S. EPA. Alternative paint strippers which contain ingredients such as benzyl alcohol, dibasic esters, and N-Methyl-pyrrolidine (NMP) lack in comparative performance results. Hence, there is a need to have a paint stripper with safer chemicals and the companies are looking to eliminate hazardous components. Technology Inventors at UMass Lowell - Toxic Use Reduction Institute (TURI) have developed a set of paint stripper formulations to reduce the health, safety and toxicity concerns related to methylene chloride, toluene, and methanol, while maintaining similar performance. The alternative solvent blend contains no Hazardous Air Pollutants and is equally effective as compared to current formulations. Applications Safer paint stripper formulations can be applied across a wide range of coatings: Paints – Oil, latex Varnishes Lacquers Shellacs Epoxies Polyurethanes Marine finishes COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES Environmentally friendly formulation - Formulation involves no Hazardous Air Pollutants Safer than the effective hazardous solvents and works similar to these same solvents Doesn’t stain wood or raise the wood grain Comprised of chemicals that have small molecular volumes - Solvent blend can penetrate the various polymer coatings and attack the adhesive bond to the substrate Cost-comparative MARKET POTENTIAL Methylene chloride is largely used as paint stripper. The methylene chloride market size in terms of value was worth USD 708.0 million in 2015 and is projected to register a CAGR of about 4.75% between 2015 and 2020.