As demand for industrial coatings has increased in recent decades, solvent-free coatings have risen in popularity as a safer alternative to conventional solvented coatings. This white paper explores the primary differences between the two and highlights specific applications that are especially well-suited for solvent-free coatings. Finally, it discusses the practical implications of solvent-free and solvented coatings from a safety, environmental, and regulatory perspective.
The development of solvent-free coatings has paved the way for safer practices during routine maintenance of critical infrastructure. In almost every industrial application, solvent-free coatings can easily match or exceed the performance expectations of solvented coatings, with a significantly lower risk involved. When weighing safety, environmental, or regulatory impacts of a coating solution, solvent-free coatings provide excellent performance with no environmental waste, air pollutants, safety risks, or costly permit requirements.