PRODUCTS

What are the principal uses of water-based coating products?
The use of water-based coating products is increasing year-on-year in numerous industries. There are two main reasons for this: firstly, this type of coating conforms to ever-stricter regulations governing the permissible levels of atmospheric emissions from volatile organic substances; secondly, the performance of the coatings themselves has increased markedly since the time when they were first released on to the market. Water-based products now dominate exterior frames/shutters sector of the coatings market. The use of water-based products in the coating of furniture, internal doors and other internal furnishings remains relatively low – current industry estimates place it at between 5% and 10% across Europe. In Italy, water-based interior coatings are in the unenviable position of being in direct competition with several other types of extensively-tested coating products that give universally excellent levels of performance and that have helped to make Italian furnishings the world leader in terms of finish.

What differentiates water-based coatings?
Often referred to as being ‘water-soluble’ or as having ‘low environmental impact’, water-based coatings (including those used in the wood coatings sector) represent the latest innovation aimed at helping to safeguard man and the environment. The principal virtues of water-based coatings lie in the fact that they: are economical, have low toxicity, are easy to clean and are non-flammable. The crucial difference between water-based and more traditional, solvent-based coatings is that in the former, the synthetic solvent is replaced by substances that are water-soluble – i.e. they dissolve in water. In practice, this characteristic can occasionally be problematic, depending on the nature of the object to which the water-based coating is to be applied and on the nature of the ‘water solvent’ employed.

Which tests are used to evaluate the quality and durability of an exterior coating?
The most important tests of the quality and durability of an exterior coating are: Natural weathering as defined by regulation EN927/3 Evaluation of water-vapor permeability EN927/4 Evaluation of water permeability EN927/5 Resistance to accelerated weathering EN ISO 4892-1 Breaking strain (VFF Institute, Germany) UV permeability


REGULATIONS

What are Certiquality and IQNet?
Certiquality is a non-profit organization that specializes in the certification of business management systems in relation to issues of quality, the environment and safety. It is also concerned with product certification, IT security, Q-web certification for websites, and training. Certiquality has its headquarters in the heart of Milan, where it employs around 100 professionals. In addition, it has offices all over Italy and collaborates with over 300 inspectors. Certiquality is now a leading certification body, having certified over 6000 companies worldwide. Certiquality is part of IQNet (International Certification Network), an umbrella organization covering the leading certification bodies from 35 countries. Certiquality has certified numerous companies both in Europe and beyond. www.certiquality.it

Which regulations govern atmospheric emissions from solvent-based products?
The purpose of EC Directive 1999/13 on the “limitation of emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) resulting from the use of organic solvents in any industry or processing plant” is to enforce a reduction of VOC emissions through: - the installation of purification systems - the substitution of solvent-based products with products with minimal environmental impact. All the member-states of the European Union are required to conform to the directive by adopting national measures for its transposition. By 31st October 2007, all existing processing plants will have to conform to the provisions of the directive, which cover, in the first instance, all those companies which produce more than 15,000kg of solvent per year (or 68kg per day). Companies producing lower amounts of solvent will be required to continue to respect the limits set by the local or regional councils through Health & Safety regulations. It is expected that these limits will be revised once the transposition of the directive is complete, in order to eliminate the current disparity between different areas, while still protecting areas of special environmental value.