Galactic, a leading “green” chemical company in Belgium, has announced that its new natural-based solvent Galasolv NF has been proven effective in dissolving phenoxy, a versatile resin manufactured exclusively by InChem Corp. of Rock Hill, S.C.
“We are very pleased that for the first time there is a natural-based non-toxic solvent for phenoxy,” said Steve Crownshaw, President of InChem. “Until now only strong petroleum-based chemicals could serve as effective solvents. This new solution opens the door to many applications such as safer forms of paints, coatings, inks and varnishes that will be environmentally friendly.”
“Galasolv NF is a new biosolvent blend that has been developed to offer better safety, especially in term of storage and transportation,” said Guy Bauts, Market Development Manager – Industry for Galactic. “All our products are derived from lactic acid, produced by natural fermentation of sugar and corn glucose. ‘NF’ stands for non-flammable. This enables our clients to reduce their storage and handling costs significantly with no impact on high product performance.”
“Phenoxy resins are tough, clear and flexible thermoplastic chemicals with high cohesive strength and good impact resistance,” Crownshaw explained. “Phenoxy resins are used to enhance the performance of coatings, inks, adhesives, composites, tires, carbon fibers and many other products. New uses are being discovered all the time, and the Galasolv NF solvent is an excellent example.”
As a solvent for phenoxy, Galasolv NF has four main benefits, Bauts explained:
“(1) It is safe – totally safe for end-users and for workers.
“(2) It is green – made from renewable sources (corn and sugar) and bio-degradable.
“(3) It is high performing – the performance of Galasolv NF is in line or better than its alternatives.
“(4) It is cost effective – the costs of our solutions are in line with the conventional crude-oil based alternatives. And when considering total cost of usage (including recycling, storage and handling), then it is even more cost-effective.”
Example of solvents that can be easily replaced with Galasolv NF include:
-Glycol ethers, glycol ether acetates
-Cresols
-Cyclohexanone
“Too many solvents today are hazardous and a threat to our environments,” Bauts said. “By using Galasolv NF, industries can benefit from the latest innovations from the green chemicals research field.”
InChem Corporation is one of America’s largest privately-owned chemical companies, with annual sales over $150 million. It is the sole authorized manufacturer of phenoxy resin. Its other custom and standard chemical formulating and processing services are provided to the world’s largest chemical companies and other manufacturers. For more information, visit www.inchemcorp.com or www.phenoxy.com.
Galactic is a leading producer of lactic acid and lactates serving the food, feed, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and industrial markets. With headquarters in Belgium and production facilities in Europe (Belgium), Asia (China) and America (USA), Galactic is commercially active in more than 65 countries. Galactic offers innovative solutions in a wide range of applications, with a focus on natural food ingredients, green chemistry and PLA through Futerro, a joint-venture with Total Petrochemicals. For more information, visit www.lactic.com.
