The company has made experimental paints that use starch in place of some petrochemical ingredients. Starch-based paints are as economic as synthetic coatings and could have novel properties, Philip Taylor of ICI Paints told a recent conference on growing industrial feedstocks as crops. In addition, they may prove to be more environmentally friendly - the feedstocks are sustainable and leftovers could be recycled on a compost heap instead of being dumped at the back of the shed. ICI is testing paints made from potato, wheat and maize starch, Taylor said. We are moving towards a target of zero waste,' he continues.
Tests show that starch-based paints are just as tough, shiny and runny as synthetic paints.
Also, despite being potentially biodegradable after disposal, tests show that they do not rot on the wall. However, they are less water resistant and take longer to dry than synthetic paints - problems ICI will have to solve before the paints are marketed. Taylor's team has added starch to emulsions and alkyds, the two most common types of decorative paint. In alkyds, ICI replaces oil-derived polyols with modified starch. The starch is converted into polyols in a brand-new process developed with an unnamed industrial partner.