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Spray April 2015

The long and winding road… The continuing evolution of aerosol automotive products Table 1. Recent Sales Figures (units in millions) Year Automotive, Lubricants & Industrials Automotive Segment 2004 567 372 2006 541 351 2008 490 328 2010 485 337 2012 500 345 2014 570 est. 368 est. The aerosol automotive products category got off to a rather slow start. The products were never mentioned in H.R. Shepherd’s book Aerosol Science & Technology (1961) and only briefly in M.A. Johnsen’s The Aerosol Handbook (1972). In 1970, these products had a sales volume of 57.3 million units, of which about 85% were windshield de-icers (4.5% carbon dioxide CO2 or nitrous oxid N2O) and engine starting fluids (9.1% CO2). The modest production volume was marketed by the Union Carbide Corp., Radiator Specialty Co., Turtle Wax, Inc., the American Grease Stick Co. and several other firms. Fast forwarding to modern times, sales in the Automotive, Lubricants and Industrial products category have been fairly static for the past ten years, as illustrated in Table 1. Over the last ten years, the category has averaged about 13.7% of the total aerosol industry units, while the automotive products segment amounted to about 10.2%, according to the Consumer Speciality Products Association (CSPA). The exact situation is clouded by the fact that some lubricants are used in both the automotive and industrial products areas. Similarly products such as window cleaners are used in both households and automotive groups. Automotive aerosol products can be divided into two main categories: appearance products and performance products. A sampling of typical products and their volatile organic compound (VOC) limits, when applicable, is shown in Table 2. If a product is labeled for two or more uses, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will enforce the most restrictive VOC limit. For example, a lubricant product that makes even a minor penetrant label claim will be restricted to a VOC limit of 25%. It follows that lubricants that have excellent penetrating abilities are now marketed without their labels making this important utility claim. Modern Product Review Brake Cleaners By far, the largest strictly automotive aerosol product is the brake cleaner. These products are sold both industrially to service shops and by retail to “weekend warriors.” The 2013 volume was 106.6 million units in the U.S. Formerly based on non-flammable trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene mixtures, these unique solvents have now been banned as possible carcinogens. The typical non-chlorinated formulas now consist of mostly acetone, plus up to 10% of heptane isomers and about 7% of CO2 propellant. The popular Brakleen product by CRC Industries is packaged in a 211x908 can, filled to 14oz. Another is the Grime Off brake cleaner by Techtronic Floor Care Technology, containing 12oz. in a shaped aluminum container with a trigger-spray actuator. Its Nutek Green branded formula is claimed to be 100% bio-degradable and made using Green chemistry. Source: CSPA Table 2. Typical Automotive Aerosol Products Product VOC 24 Spray April 2015 Limit (%) Appearance Automotive Waxes and Polishes 3–15 Bug and Road Tar Removers 40 Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners 5 Engine Degreasers 10 General Purpose Cleaners 8 General Purpose Degreasers 10 Glass Cleaners 10 Metal Cleaners and Polishes 15 Tire and Wheel Cleaners 8 Vinyl and Plastic Cleaners and Polishes 10 Performance Automotive Adhesives 65–70 Brake Cleaners 10 Carburetor and Choke Cleaners 10 Air Conditioner Coolants --- Direct Spray Passenger Compartment --- Evaporative Coolants Lubricants 40 Gear and Chain Lubricants 25 Penetrants 25 Rubber and Vinyl Protectants 10 Starting Fluids --- Tire Sealant and Inflators 20 Undercoatings 40 Source: CSPA


Spray April 2015
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