The Environmentally Responsible Choice
Powder Coatings LEED the way in Sustainable Design
What if one of the most visible parts of a building – the exterior color – could not only offer outstanding protection but also be delivered with improved environmental credentials over liquid paint?
Many of us in the design world have a vague idea that powder coatings are a more sustainable coating compared to liquid paint, but what about performance powders for architectural applications. Do they walk with the same environmental footprint?
Are performance powders also a more sustainable coating choice than liquid paint?
By superior performance powders, we are referring to hard working, architectural grade, Fluoropolymer powder coatings that meet and exceed the performance requirements of AAMA 2605 – just like a traditional liquid 70% PVDF coating.
The simple answer is yes. Superior performance architectural powders pack the same (or better) performance punch in terms of color and gloss retention and corrosion resistance, but with an improved environmental footprint compared to liquid paint.
So what exactly are the environmental advantages of performance powders?
- Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) - Not every powder coating companies powders have an EPD, but IFS 500FP, IFS 400SD and IFS 300SP all come with an EPD. See below for more details.
- Health Product Declaration (HPD) - IFS 300SP and IFS 400sD also come with HPDs.
- No solvents - There are no solvents and therefore negligible Volatile Organic Coatings (VOCs) in powder coatings. This is a huge advantage for any architect looking for an improved sustainability footprint, especially when used over large areas such as building envelope.
- Single coat - Powder coatings achieve the same or better levels of chemical, mechanical and weathering performance than liquid coatings, but in a single coat. This means there is a significant energy saving.
- Reclaim and reuse - Any over spray can reclaimed and reused or recycled, unlike with liquid paints where any overspray is instantly lost. This gives up to a 97% utilization rate from a box of powder.
- IFS powder coatings can be used over non chrome pretreatment on aluminum and still meet and exceed AAMA 2605 performance requirements - and get a warranty.
- IFS powder coatings never require a chrome based primer when used on aluminum. In fact most of the time no primer – chrome or otherwise – is required on aluminum. Even when a primer is used, an epoxy based or zinc rich primer (not chrome) is great for delivering improved corrosion protection to substrates like steel.
- Lower carbon dioxide emissions - In a life cycle analysis (DSM study), powder coatings were shown to have both lower VOC and lower carbon dioxide emissions than liquid coatings.
- No Hazardous Waste - There is no toxic hazardous waste generated during the application process. This means there is also no toxic waste creating toxic landfill.
- EPA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends powder coatings as a sustainable coating option.
If this isn’t enough reasons, the fact that it’s also tough, chemical and corrosion resistant (in line with AAMA tests), weathers extremely well, which reduces the need for replacement products, it also is much more scratch resistance meaning fewer replacements or touch up during construction. There’s a reason GCs like working with powder!
And Powder Colors? IFS performance powder coatings are available in literally thousands of powder colors, including special effects like metallics/mica and even textures.
But what about Environmental credentials?
IFS Powder LEEDs the way for smart sustainable design
IFS Architectural powders each come with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). We also have HPDs for our IFS 300FP and IFS 400SD range.
Check out this Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) chart that covers the finishing process of an aluminum extruder and compares traditional liquid paints, powder coatings and anodizing.
To get an Environmental Product Declaration each powder product type went through a full Life Cycle Analysis. The products are then tested in each of the EPD categories, which are acidification potential, eutrophication potential, global warming potential, smog potential and primary energy demand.
IFS Coatings had a third party complete this testing on every IFS architectural grade powder coating and the results, unsurprisingly, were excellent!
The below chart showcases the results from an aluminum extruder's own EPD. They extrude aluminum and then offer all three finishes – performance liquid, performance powder and anodizing. The chart demonstrates the result of the three finishes in each category that LEED requires – the result speaks for itself!