EmbaPro Holz project
At the beginning of 2022, the new project for emission-based product assessment of wood coatings (EmbaPro Holz) started.
Building with wood is becoming increasingly popular. Wooden facades are no longer a rarity on apartment buildings, halls and office buildings. However, the natural weathering of wood with the associated changes in color are often seen as a nuisance in this context. With the trend towards more visible wood, there is also an increasing demand for wood paints that can replace the classic wood preservatives. They are not considered wood preservatives (product type 8), for which handling is narrowly defined, but as treated goods (product type 7). Several biocidal active ingredients are available for wood paints, including some that can be released into the aquatic environment. In addition, manufacturers lack guidance on which formulations are beneficial or detrimental to base their formulation on. For the group of wood preservatives and pressure impregnation of wood components, an evaluation of biocide emissions is therefore to be developed, which simulates weathered outdoor use. The procedure leads to three emission classes, which correspond to a low, medium and high water pollution according to VSA. By means of model-based simulation, the leaching of biocides is estimated over several years. As a result, the calculated concentration of the leached biocides in a small water body should be available. This is intended to provide manufacturers and homeowners with a differentiating tool for choosing ecologically advantageous products. Manufacturers are thus given specific indications for ecological product improvements.