About Us | Privacy Statement | Site Map | Consumer | International | Sales Support Center HOME PRODUCTS TECHNICAL INFORMATION CUSTOMER SUPPORT NEWS/EVENTS CONTACT US SOLUTION CENTER Customer Support FAQs Glossary Obtain Coating Recommendations FAQs How do I identify the batch code of a Rust-Oleum product? The Rust-Oleum coding system tells you the age of each container of the product. You’ll find it on lids or bottoms of brush material, on the bottom of spray containers, and on cartons. There are two groupings. The first is the product number and the second contains the six character manufacturing information. Character 1 = manufacturing facility. Character 2 = year of manufacture. Character 3 = month of manufacture. Charcters 4 and 5 = day of the month of manufacture. Character 6 = batch number. For more information, please click here, Will the 5200 or 3100 lines work as "dry fall" paints? No. "Dry fall" paints, are used on high ceilings or the outside of high structures like water towers. They are formulated to dry to a chalky powder before they hit the floor. It’s very convenient, since you won’t need to use dropcloths under the painting area, and the dust can just be swept up. The 3100 and 5200 line products do not dry fast enough to be a dry powder when they get to the ground. They will still be at least semi-liquid, which means they will stick to the floor, or any machinery below the surface being painted, or any cars parked nearby. Are the Cold Galvanizing and Bright Galvanizing Compounds available in brush form? The Bright Galvanizing compound is only available in spray form. But the Cold Galvanizing Compound is available in gallons (206193) and quarts (206194). Which performs better - a High Performance spray paint or an Industrial Enamel in a gallon? The High Performance aerosols and the Industrial Enamels use the same type resins and the same pigments. The big difference between the two types of paints is that the aerosols use stronger solvents, come in smaller quantities and are used for smaller areas. If they’re applied properly, both should have equal service life. Why aren’t epoxies recommended for outside? Epoxies have very good chemical resistance as a rule, but very poor UV resistance. After about a year in full sunlight, they will lose most of their gloss and will start to chalk. To protect the epoxy from sunlight, you can use the 5200 DTM IC Acrylics, or one of the Industrial Polyurethanes. What does the California Proposition 65 warning on the aerosol cans refer to, and how much of a danger is the chemical involved? This warning refers to Toluene (toluol), one of the solvents used. Proposition 65 lists chemicals any research has shown may cause “cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm”. To be sold in California, any product containing any detectable amount of a listed chemical must have the warning on the label. Toluene is on the list for potential birth defects. The MSDS for Toluene states that when pregnant rats were exposed to “prolonged breathing of 2,000 parts per million (PPM) toluene ” there were birth defects noted. “At 400 PPM in rats ... there was no effect on the fetuses”. Data on human birth defects show “prolonged intentional abuse of toluene during pregnancy may cause birth defects”, based on reports of women who- while pregnant- concentrated and inhaled fumes containing to get high (“huffing”). In all the cases cited, there was only an effect on the fetus if the mother required emergency medical attention due to huffing. There were no known cases of exposure before pregnancy affecting a pregnancy. Why don’t the weight %‘s in Section 2 of Rust-Oleum product MSDS’s add up to 100%? Section 2 of our MSDS’s, Composition / Information on Ingredients, identifies only hazardous ingredients in the product. The weight percents will only add up to 100% if there are almost no non-hazardous ingredients. Any non-hazardous ingredients in the coating that are one of the top five ingredients by weight, or present at levels above 3% will be noted in Section 15 in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Right-to-Know listings (although weight percents will not be included). What is the ratio of base to activator for Rust-Oleum epoxies and urethanes? How do I know which goes with which? The ratio varies for each product line; the tech data sheets will show the exact amounts. But in all cases, the Rust-Oleum activators and bases are filled so that one full can of activator is used with one full can of base. Again, check the tech data sheet to be sure you have the right one for your application. In some of the product lines, the first two numbers of the base and activator will match (Ex: 9701 goes with 9782, S6501 goes with S6582, etc.) Sometimes there will be more than one activator in a particular product line; either for different applications (Ex: 9102 Immersion activator and 9103 Low Temperature Activator) or for different products in the line (5301 Activator for the 5300 topcoats, 5303 Activator for the 5300 primers) Can you add tint colorants to any of the regular colors? No. In order for the color pigments to disperse evenly and not streak, chemicals called surfactants or dispersants are added to the paint. If you add too much of these chemicals, they can cause other problems, like bubbling. The standard colors have just enough of these chemicals to take care of the pigments in the paint. We do have tint bases in most of the coating lines that can be tinted to a wide variety of colors, and special colorants for these water or oil based tint bases. Will Rust-Oleum Striping Paint Aerosols fit in a Fox Valley Brand striping machine? No. There are two main formats for striping paint aerosols, one created by Fox Valley, the other by Seymour of Sycamore. The two are not compatible, and the Rust-Oleum Striping Paints were designed to work with the Seymour format. What is 333 thinner? And why has it replaced 633 and 641 for the Industrial Enamels? Just last year, the federal government created a national VOC rule for architectural coatings (see glossary for the definition of VOC). If you were to use more than small amounts of 633 or 641,it would push the VOC of most of the Industrial Enamels higher than the legal VOC limit. But in this rule, acetone is exempt - it doesn’t “count” as VOC by the regulations. 333 is an acetone based thinner that allows you to thin the Industrial Enamels without going over the maximum legal VOC. It also can be used with the 7600 and 3400 lines of Low VOC Industrial Enamels to keep those within bounds in areas that have stricter VOC rules. Can Polyurethanes (9400’s, 9700’s, and 9800’s) be used in underwater applications? No. The polyurethanes are not rated for immersion. The only products we recommend for underwater are three epoxy systems – the 9100’s (with the 9102 Immersion Activator), the W9200 line, and the C9578 Coal Tar Epoxy. Why can’t I use the 5200 or the oil based enamels on a floor? Single-component floor finishes need a combination of properties. They have to have toughness and mar resistance. While the 5200’s and the oil-based enamels are tough, they will begin to show scratches very soon under constant foot traffic. Why is it that the Striping Inverted Aerosols don’t fit in the Marking Wand, and the Marking Paints don’t fit in the Striping Machine? The Marking Paints are designed to be used for temporary applications (construction and utility marks and the like). The Striping Paints are intended to be permanent (Parking lot spaces, etc.) We use different tips to avoid confusing the two types. Why won’t the Rust-Oleum Striping Paint fit in a Fox Valley Striping Machine? There are two formats of striping machines – one created by Seymour of Sycamore, the other by Fox Valley. Like the old Betamax/VHS systems of videotapes, what works in one will not work in the other. Our cans are formatted to match the Seymour machine. Why can’t the oil-based alkyd enamels be used on galvanized metal? Alkyd enamels have a chemical reaction with the metallic zinc in the galvanized surface, creating a zinc soap. This process, called saponification, causes the paint to peel. Usually after about two years the paint starts coming off in huge sheets. Why is 333 thinner used for the low VOC paints instead of 633 or 641? 333 is basically pure acetone, which is an exempt solvent. Adding it to paint does not change its legal VOC level. What does an activator do? It makes the chemical reaction that cures a two-component coating happen. It has been formulated to work specifically with the base component of the same product line only. For example, the 6001 activator from the 6000 floor epoxy line will not work with the 6500 line base components, and the s6501 will not activate any of the 9100 line. Polyurethane activators will not work with epoxy base components, or vice versa. I didn’t add the activator to my two-component epoxy or urethane. Will the paint dry? No. In order for a two-part epoxy or urethane to dry, the activator must be added to the base and stirred in. The base by itself will stay tacky indefinitely. I forgot to add the activator and the base component isn’t drying. Can I roll or spray the activator over the base and get it to dry? No. In order for the two components to have a proper chemical reaction, the two chemicals must be able to thoroughly mix together. Putting activator on top of the base will only allow the chemicals to react where they actually touch, along the surface between them. The rest of the two layers will remain unreacted. How do you calculate Coverage (square feet per gallon) for a paint? One gallon of liquid will cover 1604 square feet of area at a depth of one mil. So, if all paints were 100% solids and applied at a thickness of 1 mil, all of them would have coverage of 1604 square feet (usually rounded down to 1600 to make it easier to remember). What if the paint isn’t 100% solids? If your paint is only 75% volume solids, 25% of it will evaporate as it dries. If you want the dry film to be 1 mil, your coverage is: 0.75 (% volume solids as a decimal) X 1600 = 1200 square feet per gallon. And if the volume solids are 35%, the coverage is: 0.35 X 1600 = 560 square feet per gallon. And so on. What if you want to apply the paint thicker than 1mil? Then you take the coverage at one mil and divide it by the number of mils you want the dry film to be. In the example above, with the 75% volume solids paint, if you want a 2 mil dry film: .75 X 1600 ------------- = 600 square feet per gallon. 2 Or if you have a 100% volume solids paint you want to apply at 16 mils: 1.0 X 1600 ------------- = 100 square feet per gallon. 16 What is VOC? EPA defines “VOC” as, “any volatile compound of carbon”. But EPA has an exemption list of carbon compounds that don’t count as VOC’s because they are “negligibly reactive”, and do not “contribute appreciably to ozone formation.” VOC-exempt compounds include CO, CO2 and acetone Some states have their own VOC definitions with their own exemptions list, but most are very close to the federal definition. Why do I need to worry about VOC? VOC’s can increase ozone and smog in the air. Areas with high population have goals to decrease their air pollution levels; the ones with the worst air quality will tend to regulate paint VOC’s the most. Usually, California has the strictest rules, but there is now a national rule, so all paints are affected. The label on the paint can says max VOC 450 g/l. What does that mean? It means that for every liter of paint you have 450 grams of VOC. Most rules express limits in grams of VOC per liter of paint (g/l). If you need the VOC in pounds VOC per gallon of paint (lb./gal), divide the g/l by 120. In the example above, 450 g/l =3.75 lb/gal. What is the VOC for my area? The national limit for Architectural coatings is 450 g/l; automobile, high heat and marine coatings have higher maximums. Cans quart size and smaller don’t have to meet VOC maximum rules (except quarts do have to meet the rules in New York and New Jersey). Aerosols are also exempt, except in California. Some states have stricter levels; overall California has the strictest VOC rules, though the level varies county to county. SCAQMD (South Coast Air Quality Management District) and CARB (California Air Resources Board) have maximums of 250 g/l. But they have an averaging exemption so you can sell products that are more than 250 g/l if you also sell a lot of products that are 250 g/l or less. This exemption will last at least until 1/1/2005 for CARB, indefinitely in SCAQMD. We currently have an averaging plan approved by both organizations. What are Exempt Solvents? These are solvents that EPA has determined don’t contribute to air pollution. Acetone is the one used most commonly in paints. Adding an exempt solvent does not change your regulated VOC. Rust-Oleum’s 333 is an acetone-based thinner for use in low VOC coatings. What are HAP’s? The EPA created a list of VOC’s with high photochemical reactivity called Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP’s). Large painting operations need to keep track of and report how much HAP’s their site produces. Tech Service can help customers figure out the amounts of HAP’s in our paints. What does photochemically reactive mean? This means that the solvent will react with sunlight to create air pollution. The higher the reactivity number, the more pollution per pound of solvent. Where can I buy a color standards fandeck for RAL colors? They can be purchased from Gardco Test Instruments for around $20.00 for standard size or $62.00 for full page. Here is their web page: http://www.gardco.com. You can find the fandecks under the "Color Measurement" link. Federal Color fandecks, Pantone, and Muncell color products can be purchased here as well. Why doesn’t my aerosol can show g/l VOC? Aerosol regulations use % VOC by weight. CARB (California Air Resources Board) also has a MIR ruling for aerosols to reduce the amount of highly reactive solvents in the air. Using relative reactivity numbers for solvents, they calculated desirable aerosol MIR– (Maximum Incremental Reactivity) - weighted averages of relative reactivity and levels of solvents in the paint. In order to be sold in California, aerosol cans have to state that the paint meets the MIR (and the MIR number) for the class of paint that’s in the can. In order to avoid doubling inventories, all of our aerosols meet the California regulations.