Sustainability: who is not talking about it these days? Even storage tanks can be part of the sustainability movement – steel is the most recycled material in the U.S., making field erected welded steel tanks recycleable products. In addition to recycleable steel, there are now green coatings options available for storage tanks as well as other industrial applications. Today Tatsuya Nakagawa of Castagra joins us to talk about green coatings systems. 

GREEN COATINGS ARE HERE TO STAY

According to market research experts MarketstoMarkets.com, green coatings are a booming industry.Since 2012, the current worth of the global green coatings market is estimated to be around $60.6 billion. By 2018, the green coatings marketing is projected to reach $85.7 billion due to the sheer increase in new environmental regulations and consumer demand for more environmentally friendly painting and coatings products. Green paint isn’t just for inside your home or the local elementary school; there are now green paint and coatings systems available for many types of industrial applications, including storage tanks,from the AWWA tanks that hold municipal drinking water to the API tanks that hold crude oil.

WHY GO GREEN?

Research has shown that traditional industrial coatings are made with toxic ingredients like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can release toxins into the air at room temperature as the paint dries. These toxins and can cause potential health problems (like headaches, dizziness, and even kidney damage), and even environmental damage to the ozone layer. In addition to the VOCs, toxic paints can also contain toxic fungicides and biocides that are meant to prevent mildew growth and increase shelf life. And like VOCs, both fungicides and biocides affect the air and environment. As awareness of these potential hazards increases, there is more interest in and demand for eco-friendly industrial coatings options. 
 
Since technology and advanced research have helped with the evolution and development of better, healthier paint, coatings companies are now turning to environmentally friendly ingredients as the main component of their coating material to improve the health and environment for their consumers and their employees. 

WHAT’S IN A GREEN PAINT PRODUCT?

• Vegetable Oil Vegetable oil was used in coating as early as the days of cave paintings. As there have been environmental concerns about using fossil fuels in coatings, some coating companies have reverted back to using vegetable oil as it acts as a great corrosion inhibitor.
• Soy Beans This one comes from North Dakota University. They developed a “biobased polyvinyl ether copolymers from soya bean oil and menthol, which provide product enhancements ideal for alkyd coatings.”
• Castor Oil The castor plant is ideal for commercial production. It’s drought resistant and has a year-round production. The castor oil is used in a variety of everyday products for beauty, health, clothes, and the industrial sector. Castor oil can also be found in Castagra’s Ecodur coatings material.
• Milk Milk paint, a mixture of cow and goat’s milk, is made from the milk protein, casein, and lime. It was the interior paint of choice in Colonial America. Milk paint is known for giving wood a rich, deep color. It also ages well and does not chip.
• Clay Clay paints are often thicker, and have a plaster-like finish with rich hues. They are naturally mold-resistant, highly durable, and easily cover interior surfaces without need for a primer. They also help to regulate the temperature and humidity inside your home, staying warm to the touch in winter and cooler in summer.

In some coatings products, certain additives can be included in the coating material to react with formaldehyde and block its release into the atmosphere. The success of this technology has been tested in accordance with established standards, such as ISO-16000, ASTM-D5116 and JC/T 1074-2008.

CAN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS STACK UP AGAINST TRADTIONAL PAINT PRODUCTS?

In some cases, eco-friendly coatings have outperformed their conventional counterparts. For instance, Castagra’s castor oil-based Ecodur coatings material has been tested against the harshest acids and chemicals used in aboveground storage tanks and showed exceptional performance while lowering the cost to the end customer. There are some notable advantages to using an eco-friendly tank paint product, as outlined in this post about veggie tank coatings. As more eco-friendlycoatings products are being brought to the market and tested, the future looks bright for industrial coatings that not only provide solutions for protecting valuable equipment like steel tanks, pipelines and other assets, but also contribute to the sustainability of any project. 

WANT TO GO GREEN?

The increase of sustainable products that have a strong business case will further accelerate the growth of green coatings. Many options are available, and more are being developed and tested every day. If you’re interested in improving the overall sustainability of your tank construction project or other industrial project that will require coatings, a green paint system may be a good solution. A little research will reveal that green coatings are on the rise, and can offer cost effective coatings solutions that are also environmentally friendly. 

Click here for a look at how Castagra‘s Ecodur system performs in a field erected tank application. 

For more info about how your tank’s coatings system can affect its performance, download our tipsheet – The #1 Way To Save Your Tank’s Interior.

For more information about planning your next storage tank project, including coatings, download Fisher Tank Company’s New Tank Project Planning Worksheet!

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