Anti-Graffiti Coatings – Testing
of commercial products according to the ASTM Standard
It is immediately apparent to anyone who has travelled around
the capital cities of Europe that the problem of graffiti is
universal. Given the high economic and social cost, it is
surprising how little collaborative research has been done in
this area. There is no European standards activity in anti-graffiti
coatings. There is a relatively new ASTM standard, published in
2000, but this has had little impact in Europe.
There are a number of alternative ways to formulate an anti-graffiti
coating, for example:
- Providing a resistant film which is not removed when the
stain is removed
- Providing a sacrificial coating, which is easily removed
if attacked
- Repelling the stain, so that it does not adhere to, or
penetrate the coating
The core of the proposal is to test a variety of commercial
products and experimental formulations, using these different
approaches, according to the ASTM test method. Ideally, the
laboratory testing will be complemented by field trials, to
provide correlation with the “real world”, though this
would add significantly to the scope (and cost) of the project.
Again, the identification of individual products will be
concealed through random coding, except for the supplier of that
product.
We anticipate that test data can be used in the following ways:
- To compare the three different technical approaches, with
comments on the cost/performance balance
- To show participants how their product ranks compared to
the market
- To give end-users guidance on product selection
- To critique the ASTM methodology.
During the course of the project, experience will be gained in
applying the ASTM testing protocol, and it may be appropriate to
make modifications to the methodology to suit European norms,
possibly leading to proposals for a European standard.
As well as benchmarking current technology according to
existing test procedures, a possible focus of the project is to
identify effective coatings and stain removing chemicals which
are relatively environmentally friendly.
It is expected that this project will appeal to end-users and
specifiers of anti-graffiti coatings, as well as to coatings
manufacturers, raw material suppliers and suppliers of cleaning
systems. Dependent on the level of interest, the formation of an
Anti-graffiti Coatings Club is being considered, similar to the
successful Hygienic Coatings Club organised by the PRA, to
provide a forum for networking among interested professionals,
and a focal point for market-driven research.
Consultation on this proposal with PRA members and
subsequently a wider audience is planned for early 2003.
Meanwhile, if PRA members have any particular comments to make at
this stage, these would be most welcome, and should be addressed
to Richard Holman.
