The level of emulsion technology affects the quality of water-based paint.

With the tightening of Beijing's environmental protection standards, it has become a trend for furniture production enterprises in the capital to widely use water-based wood coatings with lower VOC emissions through technological innovation in the future. This has made water-based paint a focal point of consumer attention once again. The widespread popularity of water-based paint furniture, besides making the atmosphere cleaner, what does it mean for consumers? Experts say that water-based paint products are indeed more environmentally friendly, but water-based paint finishing also has certain technical requirements, and the level of water-based paint emulsion technology directly affects the quality of water-based paint. Consumers should still pay attention to the technical strength of the company and the water-based paint inspection report when purchasing.

1) Factory technology affects the quality of the paint film

Consumers can often see furniture claimed to be using water-based paint in the market. Water-based paint, also known as water-soluble wood paint, differs from solvent-based wood paint in that it uses water as a solvent. Water-soluble paints that meet national standards have lower levels of volatile organic compounds and benzene compounds than ordinary solvent-based wood paints in terms of indicators such as volatile organic compound content and benzene compound content.

Whether it's solvent-based paint or water-based paint, as long as their environmental protection performance and usage performance can meet national standards, they can be safely used in homes. The VOC and benzene compound emission levels of water-based paint are indeed lower, making it more environmentally friendly.

However, the paint film of water-based paint is thin, and many consumers worry that the adhesion of the paint film on furniture after water-based paint finishing is not strong enough and not resistant to knocks. This actually largely depends on the technical level of the manufacturer and the finishing process. In their daily testing, many water-based paint finished furniture also perform excellently in terms of the physical and chemical levels of the paint film. Therefore, when purchasing similar products, consumers should pay attention to the production capacity and technical strength of the manufacturer, because the finishing itself has a high technical content, and the overall quality of the wood paint is only one aspect. Its substrate treatment, sanding technology, etc. also affect the quality of the paint film.

Another concern for consumers is whether the price of finished furniture will increase significantly due to the use of water-based paint. Water-based paint has very high requirements for equipment technology, production environment, temperature and humidity, and seasonal changes. At present, the equipment investment alone has reached 20 million yuan, and direct material growth has also increased by 30%. Industry insiders say that although the production cost of furniture using water-based paint is indeed higher than that of ordinary paint, it will not cause too much fluctuation in the overall price of furniture after popularization.

2) Quality requires inspection reports

Can ordinary consumers visually determine the quality of water-based paint film? In furniture testing, experimenters speak with data, "Some paint films indeed look very thin, but the test results are qualified." Therefore, when purchasing, you should also ask for the relevant inspection reports for furniture.

Water-based paint has always claimed to be environmentally friendly, how to prove that it can indeed meet national standards when purchasing? It is introduced that the biggest feature of water-based paint is its low VOC and benzene compound emission levels, but these two indicators are not involved in the national standard "Harmful Limits for Wooden Furniture". The standard only stipulates the formaldehyde emission levels of the board and the content of soluble heavy metals in the surface color paint of furniture. Standards related to the paint film of furniture, such as the determination of the resistance of the surface paint film to liquids, the determination of resistance to damp heat, the determination of adhesion, and the determination of impact resistance, are all related to the performance of the paint film.

Indeed, there is a lack of standards for harmful substances in wooden furniture in the current standards for testing. However, the national standard is being revised, and the new standard will clearly define the VOC emission levels and use a more scientific climate chamber testing method in testing. At present, if consumers want to understand the above indicators in paint, they can only rely on the single inspection report of the paint. The reporter found that the national mandatory standard "Indoor Decorative and Renovation Materials - Water-based Wood Coatings - Limitation of Harmful Substances" (GB24410-2009) clearly stipulates that in water-based wood coatings, the content of benzene compounds (sum of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) ≤300mg/kg, free formaldehyde content ≤100mg/kg, volatile organic compound content ≤100g/L. Consumers can refer to these values when viewing inspection reports.

3) The paint surface should be environmentally friendly and practical

At present, Beijing is vigorously promoting the use of water-soluble wood paint in furniture production, but in the sales venue, we still see other types of wood paint finished furniture. What should consumers pay attention to when purchasing other finishing products? Experts say that besides beautifying furniture, the paint surface of furniture is more important for protecting the furniture itself, so while emphasizing environmental friendliness, practicality cannot be ignored.

● Solvent-based paint:

A common type of solvent-based paint used in furniture. Both in terms of performance and environmental protection, the state has clear mandatory requirements. This type of paint has more color paints, and attention should be paid to the problem of excessive heavy metals.

● Clear varnish:

Another type of solvent-based paint, characterized by fast evaporation and easy application, is currently one of the more commonly used paints for wooden furniture. The VOC in its solvent will quickly evaporate with the drying of the paint, and qualified products are almost harmless. However, some manufacturers, in order to speed up the processing, carry out the next process before the paint is dry, which may cause the VOC in the paint to not dissipate when the furniture is delivered to the home.

● Hand-rubbed paint:

Also known as natural lacquer, usually vegetable oil, mostly used for rosewood furniture. It does indeed become brighter with use, but this technique is relatively rare on ordinary wooden furniture. However, certain groups of people have allergic reactions to natural lacquer.

● Open-pore paint, sealed paint:

Open-pore paint is applied so that the wood's grain pores remain visible after painting; sealed paint is the opposite, completely sealing off the grain pores. These are common appearance effects for wooden furniture, and these two types of paint are no different from other paints in terms of environmental friendliness and practicality.

● Wood wax oil, fruit shell oil:

Furniture finishing products that have become very popular in recent years, emphasizing natural and environmental protection. However, reporters have inquired with multiple testing agencies, all of which stated that they have not tested such products and cannot comment. Industry insiders say that the surface wear resistance, stain resistance, and fullness of these products need to be verified, and they may also decrease with cleaning. One of the main functions of the paint film is to resist dirt and wear, reducing the impact of the environment on furniture. If consumers choose a finish like wood wax oil, they may sacrifice a lot of the functionality of the paint surface.

Shenzhen Anpin Silicone Material Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise dedicated to the research, development, production, and operation of new materials such as water-based paint emulsions, electronic adhesives, thermal conductive encapsulants, thermal conductive silicon grease, and thermal conductive soft sheets. http://www.apsi.cn