United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA/600/SR-92/159 December 1992
EPA Project Summary
Surface-coating-free Materials
Workshop Summary Report
C. M. Northeim, M.W. Moore, and J.IL Warren
The report documents a pollution pre-
vention workshop exploring the con-
cept of surface-coating-free materials
(SCFMs), the potential impact of this
type of material on volatile organic corn-
pound (VOC) and air toxic emissions
from surface coating operations, and
the means for promoting the SCFM
ethic. The purpose of the report is 1:o
summarize and present the informa-
tion as it was discussed at the work-
shop.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory, Research Tri-
angle Park, NC, to announce key find-
ings of the research project that is fully
documented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
Introduction
The national ambient air quality stan-
dard for ozone (0.12 ppm) is exceeded in
over 100 geographic areas throughout the
U.S. Extensive reduction of volatile or-
ganic compound (VOC) emissions is ro-
quired for attainment. The difficulty of
dealing with stationary area sources has
been a major obstacle to attaining these
reductions.
Surface coating operations release ap-
proximately 15 % of stationary area VOC
emissions as estimated by the 1985 Na-
tional Acid Precipitation Assessment Pro-
gram (NAPAP) emissions inventor/.
Emissions occur during initial coating, as
well as each time that a surface is recoated
during the life of the object or structure. If
materials or products could be developed
that do not need coating during either
manufacture or use (SCFMs), it is antici-
pated that VOC emissions could be re-
duced. Many of the VOC and other emis-
sions from surface coating operations are
also air toxics with additional impacts on
human health and the environment.
The workshop consisted of two parts:
technical paper presentations and brain-
storming sessions. Technical papers were
presented by representatives of varied in-
dustries that currently use or are develop-
ing SCFMs. The papers were grouped
into five sessions:
• Architectural Products,
• Applications for Uncoated Metals,
• Plastic Materials and Films,
• Development of Materials for High
Temperature Applications, and
• Regulatory Perspective.
The focus of the small group brainstorm-
ing sessions was to discuss topics related
to the use of SCFMs. A major objective
of these sessions was to identify and de-
velop pollution prevention research con-
cepts and recommendations for consider-
ation by EPA that could expand the use of
SCFMs. The brainstorming session topics
were:
• Barriers to technology innovation and
regulatory and economic incentives.
The purpose of this session was to
focus first on barriers to technology
innovation and then on potential regu-
lator/ and economic incentives that
could break down these barriers and
encourage the use of SCFMs. Major
barriers that were identified at the
workshop were:
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- High development costs,
- New product uncertainty,
- Regulatory uncertainty,
- Corporate bureaucracies,
- Technology transfer,
- Environmental life-cycle costs, and
- Military specifications.
Regulatory and economic incentives
that were discussed were:
- Tax incentives,
- User tax,
- Enhanced regulatory environment,
and
- Improved communications, EPA
public relations, and technology
transfer.
Methods for enhancing the appear-
ance and marketability of SCFMs.
This session focused on issues re-
lated to developing SCFMs with ap-
pearance and quality similar to tradi-
tional materials requiring surface coat-
ing. The key topics that emerged from
the discussion groups were:
- Life-time of product,
- Quality of final product,
- Differences among markets,
- Appearance/marketability issues,
'- Management issues, and
- Regulatory environment.
Potential pollution prevention re-
search, development, and demonstra-
tion projects* One of: 4he primary
goals of this workshop was to identify
potential research projects related to
the use of SCFMs. In addition to
C. M. Northeim, M. W. Moore andJ.L Warren are with Research Triangle Institute,
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Michael Kosusko is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Surface-coating-free Materials Workshop Summary
Report," (Order No. PB93-101160/AS; Cost: $26.00; subject to change) will be
available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: -703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
the identification and potential use of
SCFM research projects, a significant
amount of time was spent discussing
potential research projects related to
low- and no-VOC coatings. Ail of
these projects are listed in the full
report.
In conclusion, it was stated that, al-
though a wide variety of materials are
currently used uncoated, the concept of
increasing and encouraging their use as a
means for helping to reduce VOC emis-
sions from surface coating operations is
new. It was recommended that EPA con-
tinue to advance the concept through the
use of research and technology transfer.
In conjunction with the further develop-
ment of the concept of SCFMs, there
needs to be an investigation of the life-
cycle impacts of the use of specific mate-
rials. Finally, it was noted by several of
the workshop participants that coatings
serve many very important functions and
will continue to do so in the future. There-
fore, it was recommend that EPA focus
on the development and demonstration of
low- and no-VOC coatings in addition to
SCFMs.
The workshop provided an opportunity
for discussion of a new pollution preven-
tion concept that could result in reduced
VOC and air toxic emissions from coating
operations. A wide variety of organiza-
tions/industries were represented. This
diversity resulted in a unique forum for the
exchange of information and differing view-
points. The full report summarizes the
background, methodology used in plan-
ning the workshop, discussions that took
place in the brainstorming sessions, and
recommendations from the workshop. Also
included with the report are the technical
papers presented as part of the work-
shop.
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
EPA/600/SR-92/159
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