Environmentally Friendly and Non-Toxic Paint Driers

Paint driers are products of organic acids containing 7-18 carbon atoms. Drying tasks in the drying event accelerate the reactions. Paint driers are metallic structures that accelerate drying when applied to resins, paints and varnishes. Cobalt and manganese, which are active paint driers, provide surface drying. Cobalt, which is oxidizing, provides surface drying. Manganese is both a surface (oxidation) and bottom (polymerization) drier. When used with active driers, Pb (Lead), Ca (Calcium), Zr (Zirconium), Zn (Zinc), Sr (Strontium) and Ba (Barium) are auxiliary metal driers that increase drying and film properties. Paint driers are used as a mixture according to the desired properties.

Lead:

It is an important auxiliary desiccant in applications where drying of the bottom surface and drying of the bottom and intermediate layer of the paint film are necessary across all temperature ranges. It is used as the main auxiliary drier on polyurethane surfaces. It decreases drying losses. It is used as a grinding aid and dispersing agent for paints and pigments. Lead is a heavy metal widely used in industry because of its processability. It is used extensively in industry and therefore poses threats to human health in industrialized societies. Lead is widely used in the paint industry and in metal products, cables and pipelines. In recent years, technical measures have been initiated in the country through legal regulations to address the harmful effects of lead. Due to the toxic effects on interior paints, lead is no longer used. Zirconium and zinc are preferred instead of lead in exterior paints. Due to lead's toxic effects on human health, zirconium is also used in the paint sector and in mixed products as a substitute for lead. Zirconium, a secondary drier, provides bottom drying. To increase the performance of paints and varnishes, it is used as an effective auxiliary drier in paint applications together with cobalt and other auxiliary driers.

Zirconium provides better color, less yellowing and good stability for use in light-colored paints and furnace systems. Calcium is the most widely used auxiliary desiccant and wetting agent. It promotes the activity of active driers. When used with or without lead, it aids drying in low-temperature and humid environments.

It is used as a good wetting agent and reduces drying losses. Mixed driers are mixture driers. The combination of a premixed drier offers advantages over single metal driers. Technically, the mixtures are pre-stabilized and therefore eliminate gelation problems resulting from the different drier structures. Production controls guarantee metal ratios. This eliminates any performance problems associated with fluctuations in metal concentrations or ratios. One mixed drier can replace several individual metal driers. Zinc leaves the surface open so that a harder film layer is formed in paints. It is an auxiliary drier and a very good pigment dispersing agent. When used in combination with cobalt, it produces a hard film. It reduces drying loss. We use zirconium instead of lead in lead-free mixed mixtures. Akdry MIX-2 is among our environment-friendly products. As we place importance on environmental and human health considerations, we continue to work on lead-free mixed products.   Zerrin Pandır Head of Coating Department Akpa Kimya Ambalaj San. Ve Tic A.Ş.