The Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division of the U.S. EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory conducted a study to identify wood furniture manufacturing facilities that had converted to low-VOC/HAP wood furniture coatings and to develop case studies for those facilities. The primary goals of the project were (1) to demonstrate that low-VOC/HAP coatings can be used successfully by some wood furniture manufacturing facilities, and (2) to assist other wood furniture manufacturing facilities in converting to low-VOC/HAP coatings.
Twenty-five facilities that had converted one or more of their primary coating steps to low-VOC/HAP coatings participated in the study. Visits were conducted at many of these facilities. Facilities were identified using the Internet, trade associations, State agency personnel, and trade publications. The EPA recognizes that the conversion to low-VOC/HAP coatings is a difficult process, and attempted to ensure that the case studies present an accurate picture of what is required to successfully convert to low-VOC/HAP coatings. The EPA believes that only a comprehensive and accurate depiction of the conversion process will be helpful to other facilities as they work to convert to low-VOC/HAP coatings.
The case studies include a discussion of the following information:
Types of products the facility manufactures
Types of low-VOC/HAP coatings the facility uses
Problems encountered in converting to low-VOC/HAP coatings
Equipment changes that were required
The costs associated with the conversion process
Emission reductions achieved
Waste/OSHA impacts
Advantages/disadvantages of the low-VOC/HAP coatings
Any customer feedback on products finished with the low-VOC/HAP coatings
The final project report also includes a general discussion of different types of low-VOC/HAP coatings and application equipment, an assessment of the current use of low-VOC/HAP coatings in the wood furniture industry, and a technical reference section.
