Southern SCT meets, greets, and exchanges knowledge. (Southern Society for Coatings Technology)

Tampa -- With a strong nod toward waterborne products the 60th Annual Meeting of the Southern Society for Coatings Technology provided significant technical data and opportunities to share ideas and information here.

New directions in the long range planning for the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology also were discussed.

Dr. Mary Burch, department manager, architectural coatings research for Rohm and Haas Co., gave the keynote address and put forth interesting information and challenges for the audience. Her talk dealt with global technology trends.

Opening with a discussion of environmentally friendly paints, Dr. Burch outlined the safety and health enhancements for both the applicator and the occupant of the dwelling. She pointed out that much of the lead in this area is coming from Europe and is based on consumer demand. Low/no VOC is the trend in Europe and the net benefit is lower odor. The APEO surfactant-detergent area so far is emerging in other parts of the world.

Regulatory concerns are growing as well. The Danish labeling laws are centered on volatiles and toxic ingredients. At the same time, the voluntary German "Blue Angel" is concerned with toxicity and emission. There is a voluntary seal of approval and the program is government sponsored. Interestingly enough, however, this program is not considered "cradle to grave" with concerns in the area of waste disposal. The …