German chemical company BASF has announced that it is producing dispersions for interior paints based on the mass balance process, which was jointly developed by BASF and the TÜV SÜD technical inspection board.
To manufacture binders for its Acronal brand of products, BASF has replaced all fossil raw materials with renewable feedstock at the beginning of the production process.
Biomass is used as feedstock during production of the basic products for the dispersions. With the mass balance approach, the biomass share is then allocated to the dispersions according to their respective recipes. According to BASF, the mass-balanced products are identical to their fossil counterparts in terms of formulation and quality.
Acronal water-based acrylic and styrene acrylic dispersions are used as binders in architectural coatings, adhesives, construction and fiber-bonding applications.
“Since these dispersions are based on the use of sustainably certified renewable raw materials in the production process, they help save fossil resources and reduce greenhouse emissions,” said Robert Heger, vice president in charge of BASF’s dispersions business for construction and architectural coatings in Europe. “That way, we at BASF can help our customers develop interior paints that combine environmental responsibility with uncompromising premium quality.”
German paint producer DAW has started using one of these dispersions for its premium interior paints that are marketed under the brand names Caparol and Alpina.
Wolfgang Hoffmann, head of Caparol product management at DAW, said: “A skillful painter and decorator needs environmentally friendly products that are easy to process, keep for a long time and are affordable. By offering new paints that are based on the mass-balanced dispersion, we are breaking new ground and are closing a gap in the market.”
