Nature or Petrochemical?

Organic Chemistry and Natural Paint Solvents

Nature or Petrochemical - You Decide! (OKO-Test)

Paints consist essentially of:

Pigments - the colorant
Binding agents - which bind the colorant to the painted surface
Solvents - which keep the paint in suspension until applied

Following application, the solvent evaporates leaving the dried paint on the surface. This process is essentially the same with Natural Organic Paints and Conventional products.

The vital difference however is in the ingredients used as pigments, binding agents and solvents.

The difference in pigments and binding agents used in organic chemistry (soft), and conventional hard chemistry is fairly easy to see. However, when it comes to solvents, things become more confusing.

As the petrochemical industry becomes more worried about the growing competition posed by organic solvents they have taken deliberate steps to misinform the public about the nature of Ethereal Oils - used as solvents in soft organic chemistry.

To help you draw your own conclusions about the arguments, below are findings of a leading German environmental/consumer magazine; OkoTest.

One thing which should become abundantly clear however is why:

Auro have consistently worked with the Ethereal Oil Concept.
Our aims are radically ecological and commitment is absolute!

	AURO concept (ethereal oils)	Test Petrol Concept	ISO Aliphatic Concept

Constituents	Rectified ethereal oils Balm oil of turpentine Oil from citrus peel	de-aromatised test-petrol turpentine substitute aliphatic hydrocarbon	Iso-aliphatic compounds iso-paraffin Aliphatic hydrocarbon (undecane, dodecane)
Raw Material	Vegetable balm, fruit peel (renewing resource)	Crude oil (non renewable resource)	Crude oil (non-renewable resource)
Production Method	Distillation (without chemical or change of substance)	Oil-cracking chemical hydrogenation	Oil-cracking, multi layered chemical synthesis.
Production hazards	None: ethereal oils are products of 'Soft' organic chemistry waste can be recycled.	Usual hazards of accidents or emissions of the petrochemical industry.	Use of iso-butane, fluorinated hydrocarbon and butylenes (emissions accidents) special refuse from 'hard; chemistry
Disadvantages	Degreasing of skin High price, but no overexploitation of resources. Occasional allergic reactions through previous damage by chemicals Negative influence on central nervous system, if warnings through smell are ignored.	Remnants of cancerous substances (xylene, toluene) Degreasing of skin Long-term risks not yet evaluated Negative influence on central nervous system Inferior solvent for natural resins, so that additional ethereal oils are necessary Frequent occurrences of aliphatic or benzene allergies Annoying smell of petrol No closed ecological cycle	Weak in smell due to inorganic structure, no warning function. Risk of unnoticed damage to the central nervous system. Long-term risks probable but not yet proven (new chemical) Degreasing of skin Very poor solvent for natural resins, so that additional ethereal oils are necessary. Allergiological advantages are therefore given up. No closed ecological cycle.
Advantages	Excellent long-term experience, used in food stuff, healing agents and cosmetics. Warning, through smell No 'painters scabies' through controlled raw materials.	Cheap petrochemical substances	Cheap petrochemical substances
Smog Ozone-layer	No build up of smog. All resins and oils are taken from natural cycles and are finally re-integrated.	Contributes to build up of smog	Contributed to build up of smog. Risks for ozone layer because of high chemical stability (analogy to CFC's)

OkoTest Magazine Issue 06/88:p44 Issue 11/88:p38	Recommended	Restricted	Restricted

OkoTest is a European Environmental/Consumer Magazine - similar to Which magazine in the UK