Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-5, страница 58

How Green is YOUft Finish?

By Michael Dresdner ^ ^

Go to www.woodworkersjournal.com and click on Quik-Link to find links to green finishing products,

^QUIK-LINK

©istockphoto. com/Exkalibur

Hotline

-T-

r reen is a popular term these days, used to mean any thing or process that is less damaging to our environment, and ultimately to us. In the finishing world, that entails two very different concepts: green finishes, which are those finishing materials deemed to be either personally or environmentally greener, and green finishing, which deals not with the finishes, but the finishing process.

Since either can give us a healthier environment, I'll talk about both, beginning with green finishes. You should know, though, that the second alternative — green finishing — is a much simpler and cheaper way to go green. It allows us to continue using all the finishes we currently like and still make an impact, and quite possibly the largest impact of all.

Green Finishes

The simple definition of a green finish is one that has a more benign chemical profile than the traditional finish it is designed to replace. What makes them green varies with whoever is labeling them as such. Like beauty, green is often in the eye of the beholder.

For instance, one company I spoke with was dedicated to reducing or eliminating formaldehyde in their formulas. Although the EPA does not restrict formaldehyde as either a VOC or a HAP (see sidebar on page 59), it is believed to be a sensitizer that can cause allergic reactions similar to flu symptoms in some people. Others seem unaffected by it. Nevertheless, OSHA, which is concerned not with the environment but with the personal safety of factory workers, has put restrictions on how much formaldehyde they may be exposed to. As a result, the coatings industry has been voluntarily reducing it in their formulas.

Finishing continues on page 60...

58 October 2009 Woodivorker's Journal