Organic varnishes and paints for wood, resistant, durable and easy to use

Wooden or wood surfaces derived materials (MDF, veneered chipboard) must be resistant, both mechanically and chemically. The safest way to achieve such resistance is to use wood varnishes and paints. There are many such products, both solvent-based and water-based. Water-based products are very useful when there is no solvent odor, when you need to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or very important, when the aim is to reduce the risk of fire from the finishing materials. But waterborne finishes are not implicitly free from any health or environmental risk. The absence of solvents is beneficial, as the environment is much better protected, but it is not enough to ensure that the materials can, for example, be discharged into the city sewer system or used without the usual protective equipment. To be truly safe in every respect, varnishes and paints must be BIO. Such a range of products has created Italian firm ICA (distributed in Romania by Lomilux) in collaboration with the Dutch company DSM. The Dutch manufacturer is recognized worldwide for its long experience in the production of resins from renewable sources.

A new range of ICA paints unlike any before

The public is increasingly talking about sustainability, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, replacing products derived from oil processing, protecting the environment and human health. ICA's new range of BIO products responds to all these demands in an area recognized for its high VOC emissions and resins from oil processing, offering products that are safe for our health and the environment.

How do you answer? By:

• the use of renewable organic waste materials
• decrease carbon dioxide footprint
• reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds
• increased attention to the health of those who use or benefit from them.

The resin used by ICA to make its organic paints and varnishes is not made from oil but from biomass from renewable organic material that cannot be used for human consumption (leaves, twigs, household waste). The process of obtaining this bio resin was a long one, with many tests carried out in the company's laboratories, in order to reach at least the performance of the classic resins used in wood finishing. Tests with the new resins started as early as 2013, and in 2017 the first public recognition of the quality of the new products was achieved with the award at the Interzum, the category High Product Quality. To demonstrate the biogenetic nature of the resin, the products were tested at the University of Camerino and Sapienza University of Rome.

The formulation of the products allows them to be used in areas such as cribs and children's toys. The varnishes and paints in this range meet the requirements of the EN 71-3 standard, well known to importers and exporters of children's furniture and children's articles. In addition, being water-based with resins derived from biomass eliminates the problems of emissions of volatile organic compounds or free formaldehyde.

BIO paints are not only about sustainability and healthy products but also about coating performance

However healthy and environmentally friendly wood finishing materials are, it is very important that they have mechanical and chemical resistance, are easy to work with and can be adapted to the technological processes used in large factories. The resins used for the products in the two ranges are acrylic or acrylic-polyurethane and have properties far superior to the bio-based alkyd resins available on the varnishes and paints market.

Organic paints and varnishes, inside and out

The ICA BIO product line is structured in two main ranges. In formulating them, the aim was to cover all the necessary characteristics of the two product ranges.

• Iridea BIO - interior products
• Arborea Organic - outdoor products

Products in the range Organic Iridea, used for finishing furniture and other objects or interior fittings, are resistant to scratching, knocks and other mechanical actions, staining with water, coffee or paint, humidity and have a pleasant look and feel. Unlike bio alkyd products, they dry faster, sand more easily and are more resistant to direct light. They lend themselves to repeated industrial applications and can be used without problems in large factories where productivity is an important requirement. Their good moisture resistance allows them to be used for finishing bathroom or kitchen furniture.

Products Arborea Organic are formulated to be outdoor resistant. They are elastic, have high resistance to precipitation and UV radiation, do not yellow over time and have a natural appearance. They are easy to use and can also be applied by industrial methods (flow-coating, dipping, spraying). They dry quickly and sand easily. Can be pigmented to a wide range of shades and colors. They can be used to finish garden furniture, laminated or ordinary wooden windows, exterior doors or exterior cladding.

Organic lacquers and paints from the Iridea and Arborea are products made with raw materials from renewable sources following environmentally friendly technological processes. They are products that protect the health of both those who apply them and the users of the finished products. So those who work with varnishes and paints to finish wood can now use a range of BIO products with very good resistance, which are easy to apply and easy to process. This is what we aim to show you in future materials.