In many industrial settings, as little as half the paint that is sprayed on a finished product never actually attaches. A water curtain removes the excess paint, which must then be separated from the water using denaturants designed to detackify, coagulate, and floccolate the over-spray. Unfortunately, common denaturing agents contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, and acrylic acid-based denaturants are petroleum-based. PPG Industries Inc., Troy, Mich., has an alternative solution with its Green Logic Paint Detackifier.

Derived from the chitin in waste crab, lobster, and shrimp shells, the agent is non-toxic, low in carbon content, outperforms other chemistries, and produces minimal foam, which lowers costs. Because the detackifier contains chitosan, it naturally inhibits the growth of microbes and reduces the need for biocides. There are other advantages: wide pH range, low oxygen use, low sludge volume, and paint booth water life of about two years. These advantages add up to cost savings for industrial paint applications.