So there you are in the laboratory, a coatings formulator in the modern age, pondering an exciting challenge in the realm of protective coatings, where a real sense of scientific wonder often prevails. The crucial task at hand? One that's been around in one form or another since the late 1980s to the present. You must address head-on the sometimes perplexing regulatory position of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); produce high-performance coatings that are easy and safe to apply; keep the costs down without detracting from in-service performance; do your stint for the environment in particular and the planet at large by complying with VOC regulations without inadvertently introducing something worse; strengthen your company; and delight your customers. No mean feat in creative problem solving. After all, what innovative design goals could be more stimulating or rewarding? Headline stuff in molecular engineering: Get a Green "A" Grade.
The VOC Odyssey: an Epic Tale of the Green World of Coating Formulators
DR. MIKE O'DONOGHUE
Mike O'Donoghue, PhD, is the Director of Engineering and Technical Services for Devoe High Performance Coatings Canada, International Paint LLC. He has a BSc in chemistry as well as a PhD in inorganic chemistry from the University of Surrey, England. He has 23 years of experience in the protective coatings industry. Dr. O'Donoghue is a member of SSPC, the American Chemical Society, and NACE. He and his co-authors have written frequently for JPCL and have won several awards for their articles. He can be reached at [email protected]. He has a B.Sc. (1st Class Honours) in Chemistry as well as a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Surrey, England. In the UK, at Tioxide International, he worked in the pigment and paint industry as a researcher for six years.
With over 21 years experience in the protective coatings industry with Devoe Dr. O'Donoghue is a co-developer (with Ron Garrett, ICI Devoe Coatings) of an innovative 3 dimensional glass fabric – AHC epoxy tank lining technology for Above Ground Storage tanks in North America. He is also a co-developer (with Ron Garrett, ICI Devoe Coatings) of a novel anti-slip coating system for structural steel. In 1999, working in conjunction with Sergio Vitomir and Doug White previously of Napier International Technologies Inc., Dr. O'Donoghue helped elucidate the chemical stripping mechanism of a new generic class of recently invented chemical strippers known as Selective Adhesion Release Agents (SARA).
Author of many research papers and articles for both marine and industrial publications Dr. O'Donoghue has been the recipient (with his co-authors) in 1998 and 1999 of SSPC's Outstanding Paper of the Year Award in the Journal of Protective Coatings and Linings.
Dr. O'Donoghue is a member of NACE International, SSPC and ACS the American Chemical Society.
Vijay Datta is Director—Industrial Maintenance for Devoe High Performance Coatings, International Paint LLC. He holds a MS in chemical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and has 35 years of experience in the marine and protective coatings industry. He is a member of SSPC, the National Paint & Coatings Association, and NACE. He can be reached at [email protected].
