PHILADELPHIA - (Business Wire) Fifty years ago, almost all paint contained high levels of organic solvents. You could easily tell by the strong odor when you opened the can and as you applied the paint. Fortunately since then, chemists have been inspired by nature and a greater appreciation for the environment to produce today
’s more environmentally advanced paint ingredients and far better paint products for all of us to use.
Specialty materials company Rohm and Haas (NYSE:ROH) first introduced acrylic emulsion technology for interior house paints in the 1950s. Since then, the company has constantly worked at perfecting the environmentally advanced ingredients that most paint manufacturers use today. Advances in paint technology mean that today, water-based paints perform better, are easier to use, offer easier cleanup, and no longer smell like the traditional solvent-based paints of yesteryear. Today, paints based on the many breakthroughs in acrylic, water-based paint technology have largely replaced solvent-based paints across a broad spectrum of paint applications and surface areas that require the protection and aesthetic beauty that paint delivers so well. Close to 85 percent of the paints sold in the United States today are based on acrylic technology. A visit to any paint retailer will reveal that the labels on nearly every paint can display this low-odor, low-risk ingredient.
Government legislation encourages this trend, too. In the forefront are regulations in California that strictly enforce reduced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for paint. Similar legislation is rolling across the United States and Canada. Paints are known to emit VOCs, which are a recognized contributor to ground smog and air pollution. Most modern, low-VOC paints lack odor, so homeowners can move back into freshly painted rooms almost immediately. The paints also are not considered hazardous waste, so consumers can rest assured that they aren’t heavily impacting the environment when disposing of leftovers. In terms of performance, these advances mean that high-quality acrylic emulsions found in today’s paints offer durability, protection and quick drying times, plus bacteria and fungi resistance, too. To learn more about “where a great paint job begins” visit us at www.paintquality.com.
Rohm and Haas is a company that was founded on the principle of innovation, and as the demand for environmentally advanced products continues to grow, the company continues to keep pace with new technologies and improvements, making the impossible possible.
About Rohm and Haas Company
Leading the way since 1909, Rohm and Haas is a global pioneer in the creation and development of innovative technologies and solutions for the specialty materials industry. The company’s technologies are found in a wide range of industries including: Building and Construction, Electronics and Electronic Devices, Household Goods and Personal Care, Packaging and Paper, Transportation, Pharmaceutical and Medical, Water, Food and Food Related, and Industrial Process. Innovative Rohm and Haas technologies and solutions help to improve life every day, around the world. Based in Philadelphia, PA, the company generated annual sales of approximately $8.9 billion in 2007. Visit www.rohmhaas.com for more information. imagine the possibilities™
Rohm and Haas Company
Laura Hadden
Director of Communications, Specialty Materials
+1 215-592-3054
lhadden@rohmhaas.com
