Traditionally, the Paint strippers purchased for jobs around the home or at work have been based upon a variety of solvent mixtures.
The most common solvent in these is a substance called Dichloromethane.
Often, these products will strip a wide variety of paint types, and generally have little impact on the surface beneath the paint....which would be ideal, if that's all they did!
But the problems associated with Dichloromethane far outweigh its benefits; and as of June 6 2012, products containing Dichloromethane will be banned from sale to the general public, following years of horrific incidents involving users who have suffered terrible external burns, internal injuries and, in several instances, death.
On top of this, there is also the persistent problem of odour. Paint strippers containing these solvents give off foul fumes which can harm the lungs of not only the user, but also anyone else nearby, as well as pets.
As a result of these relentless problems, the last few years have seen a massive upsurge in efforts to find a "safer" alternative to solvent-based products. The problems with these "safer" alternatives is that they tend to be derived from petroleum, which is not a renewable source.
The arrival of water-based products and how they work
The principle of water-based paint stripping is entirely different to solvent-based strippers. Water-based strippers rely on an organic component to penetrate the paint layer, and carry with it the water which normally carries the active stripping agent. When the water reaches the interface between paint and substrate, the active ingredient in the water breaks the bond between paint and surface and the paint simply falls off.
Advantages of water-based paint/varnish strippers
- The paint is generally not affected, meaning that any harmful materials that might be inside the paint will not be released into the environment
- Because the stripper does not attack the paint, it is not depleted in the stripping process. This is particularly advantageous in a stripping bath, where very long bath lives can be achieved, dramatically improving process economics
- The paint substrate is generally much more impervious to water than it is to solvent and so very little penetration of the stripper into the substrate occurs. This makes cleaning the surface after stripping easier and quicker than if a solvent stripper is used
Why are people turning to Biostrip?
Product Benefits include:
- Water-based - no losses due to evaporation, non flammable, odour free, solvent free, VOC free
- Non Toxic - safer for the user and the environment
- Non Caustic - Does not darken wood, pH neutral, does not cause burns
- Thixotropic (thickened) solution - Clings to vertical surfaces - no drips or runs, hence no waste, Economical in use.
- Does not give off hazardous or noxious fumes - ventilation not required. Suitable for use indoors or in confined spaces
- Non Irritant
Suitable Substrates:
- All wood types
- All metals, including alloys
- Stone
- Brick
- Marble
- Concrete
- Plastered surfaces
- Most plastics (test a small area before use)
Coatings removed:
- Polyester and epoxy powder coatings
- Water based coatings
- Varnish
- Primers, including aerospace primers
- Chrome containing primers
- Oil based paints
- Emulsion
- Wood stains
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