Bayhydur® quix ultra enables lower carbon footprint for wood coatings
As the focus on sustainability grows in the wood and furniture sector, water-based coatings with lower volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are replacing solvent-based polyurethane coatings. But are water-based more sustainable than solvent-based polyurethane coatings? We teamed up with German leading coating supplier Hesse in order to measure the environmental impact of different conventional curing polyurethane coatings along the life cycle and identify the main lever of each technology.
VOC emissions for water-borne coatings are less than 100g/l, a clear drop compared to >500g/l for solvent-based lacquers. However, switching to water-based coatings normally also means longer drying time and increased energy consumption. Before this study, little lifecycle assessment data existed that proved that water-borne polyurethane coatings do in fact generate a lower carbon footprint. Bayhydur® quix ultra, our fast-drying hardener, helped change the outcome and increase the water-based environmental benefit.
When tracking the lifecycle carbon footprint from cradle to application gate, including application and drying, standard 2K water-borne polyurethane systems (2K WB PU) showed a slight improvement of around 10% in CO2 emissions in comparison to 2K solvent-borne polyurethane (2K SB PU). This improvement can be increased up to 25% simply by using Bayhydur® quix ultra, our patented low VOC water-based hardener that dries as quickly as aromatic solvent-borne crosslinkers. When renewable electricity powers the drying instead of standard electricity from grid, a significant reduction up to 60% of CO2 emissions versus solvent- based polyurethane coatings can be achieved.
Find out more about Hesse’s Hydro PUR Primo HDE 54004 here.
In cooperation with Hesse:
Together we proved it is possible to produce a low VOC furniture coating without sacrificing on quality or drying speed. Our lifecycle assessment study also showed that using Bayhydur® quix ultra as a drop-in alternative solution to solvent-borne coatings, the carbon footprint can be improved significantly.
Bayhydur® quix ultra water-based hardener enables low VOC, fast drying and a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions
- Fast curing Patented Bayhydur® quix ultra dries as quickly as aromatic solvent-borne hardeners.
- Lower VOC Bayhydur® quix ultra delivers lower VOC than standard solvent-borne technologies.
- Reduced carbon footprint Faster drying consumes less energy, generating up to 60% lower CO₂ emissions.
- High performance Hardener offers outstanding chemical resistance, enhanced durability and a longer use phase.
- Drop-in solution Bayhydur® quix ultra an be used in existing systems, with no investment needed.
