Camo paint health risks?

[Progharmon]

G'day guys,

I picked up my ex-military 110 yesterday and I have been trying to research information on the health risks associated with the camouflage paint on the vehicle. I know that it is dangerous to sand off the paint without appropriate PPE, but how worried should I be about it? Should I be worried about the paint chips flaking off of my vehicle? Can I apply tools like drills to the chassis without exposing myself to the toxins in the paint? How safe is the paint to touch?

My apologies if these come across as dumb questions, I'd just like to know about this before I start handling the vehicle too much. :confused:

[Mick_Marsh]

Have a read of the MSDS

Wattyl Industrial Coatings | Poly U & Paracryl (http://www.wattylindustrial.com.au/protectiveandmarine/polyu.html)

The MSDS is for the liquid paint. I think when it is dry it is far less hazardous.
Bear in mind, the paint contains titanium dioxide which is carcinogenic. When sanding, the dust is dangerous.
I've also heard the dry paint is flammable.

[Blknight.aus]

with the over seriousness that usually derides the importance of the message rampant I shall attempt to be a little less serious in the hope that the humour helps convey the message

If you're a dwarvian you'll understand this one.

Its the toxic cancerous version of baxters hooch, except instead of merely getting you drunk this stuff gives you cancer if you look at it.

ITs almost that bad and when in 20 years time someone looks at all the eye cancer outbreaks in australia and maps out all the poeple who have eye cancer and have seen a PUP painted piece of ADF hardware I will be the first one to say I told you so.

In lay speak, Treat it as you would asbestos and you wont go far wrong.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/coil-sprung-military-land-rovers/211596-perentie-paint-finish.html

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/coil-sprung-military-land-rovers/220006-pup-polyurethane-polymer-paint.html

[Chris078]

The dust is toxic. The chips not so much as you can't really breathe them.

If you have to sand the paint for a repair (I'd use paint stripper and take the lot off and start over) but if you're just touching up,
then wear a proper mask (rated for asbestos) and suit up in disposable asbestos overalls, gloves and lightly wet sand it (200 grit or more) immediately wipe over with a wet rag, chuck rag and sandpaper in several plastic bags and chuck in the bin.

That is all you need to do to touch up the paint if you follow the 3 step process from Protec paints

1. apply 2 coats 426 etch pro etching primer
2. apply 2 coats 456 zinc phosphate primer (this is the sacrificial primer) - don't use this on galvanized stuff, just primer and top coat on galvanized metal
3. then apply 2-4 coats of camouflage paint (code for that is 342)

When you buy the paint always check the expiry date on the bottom of the can. They don't sell much of it and it's often out of date on the shelf (found that out the hard way - sprays like crud when it's out of date)

[rfurzer]

I wonder if we are not worrying too much .

Firstly Perenties seem to have been painted with a few different types of paint, changing early on when the 'Auscam' pattern was introduced (see Australian Army Vehicle Colour Schemes and Paint -REMLR (http://www.remlr.com/paint.html#protec) down the bottom of the page).

The Protec "342" enamel (MSDS https://buyat.ppg.com/ehsdocumentmanagerpublic/pdf_main.aspx?StreamId=56bac8c63a4b95fb0000&id=56bac8cd3a6cb09c0001) seems to have nothing really nasty in it - see section 11 "toxicological information".

It is an Alkyd Enamel, a paint type which can be further hardened with Isocyanates.

I have found it hard to find information about when Alkyd Enamel is used vs Polyurethane Polymer (PUP) but at the end of the day, the nasty is the Isocyanate which is a hardener in both types.

This current webpage covers the safety information for a similar product - Painting Safety - Polyurethane Paints and Lacquers (http://www.resene.com.au/comn/safety/lacquers.htm)

Note this paragraph "Removal of polyurethane paint:
Sanding down:
When isocyanate paints are fully cured, if they have been applied for more than 24 hours at room temperature or heated for one hour at 70?C, and are sanded down, the dust produced will not present an isocyanate hazard. This is because fully cured paints contain no free isocyanates. In such instances a dust mask should be worn to provide protection from the general nuisance dust present. Where new paint that may not be fully cured is sanded down, the dust will contain free isocyanates. "

Futhermore - It is important to understand what the stuff might do to you - it seems that it is mostly a respiratory irritant and that it has the property of sensitizing some individuals who can then have clinical effects at lower doses. It is category 2 as a carcinogen "suspected of causing cancer" - a significantly weaker link to cancer. See page 2 of http://www.ilo.org/legacy/english/protection/safework/ghs/ghsfinal/ghsc10.pdf

See also http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/about/Publications/Documents/912/guide-to-handling-isocyanates.pdf

[Blknight.aus]

the easy way to generally tell what you have where is..

if it was on it from a pro spray job paid for by the ADF its PUP.

if it was from a rattle can odds are it was the enamel

the rattle cans we get at work are the enamel so we can use them for touch up work.

[rfurzer]

Either way the PUP dust isn't so fearsome once the paint is cured (ie 24h). All that stuff about isocyanate absorption via the skin and eyes is relevant for the application of the PUP, not rubbing back 25 years later.

Isocyanate is not directly linked to cancer either.

[Dop]

G/Day, Don't know if I should have started a new thread, but hay. I am going to be painting my Perentie within the next two months. I plan to lightly sand it back as I don't want the job of applying primer to the entire vehicle (the paint is in pretty good condition). I will be wearing a respirator/dust mask whilst I do this. I am changing to a single colour, getting rid of the camo. I am going to do it with a roller, as I like the results that some have achieved on youtube, the guy at the paint shop mixed it up for this purpose and gave me some pointers. It is a Satin Finish. Does anyone have any further ideas or suggestions on this process? As a further question, the roll cage and frame in the tray is steel not aluminum, correct? Just want to use the rite primer. Thanks Grant

[DazzaTD5]

Poly U paint has been around for many many decades, its an industrial paint generally used as a top finish coat to give a visually nice appearance, or to match a particular colour code. Used to top finish steel work, industrial tanks, pipe work, truck trailers and tankers etc etc.

As its an industrial epoxy product its going to require care and common sense when doing sanding or application. By comparison its not as bad as other industrial coatings such as high solid zinc primers or high build epoxy coatings.

So apply basic safety methods.
*Wear a respirator for dust sanding (as anyone would for sanding paints etc).
*Wash hands face when finished (as anyone would).
*Dust should be vacuumed and disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner (as in, industrial waste shouldnt get washed down the drain).
*Wear a respirator for paint fumes while apply new paint (regardless of paint, which includes water based paints as they absorb into the blood stream easier than other paints).

*There are plenty of far nastier products people do/use and dont even blink an eye about...
*oven cleaner, pesticides, smoking, connecting a trailer to the back of a running diesel 4wd, crossing a bitumen road in the middle of summer.

*oh and dont lick the paint...... :p :p :p

Regards
Daz

[mattmac]

G/Day, Don't know if I should have started a new thread, but hay. I am going to be painting my Perentie within the next two months. I plan to lightly sand it back as I don't want the job of applying primer to the entire vehicle (the paint is in pretty good condition). I will be wearing a respirator/dust mask whilst I do this. I am changing to a single colour, getting rid of the camo. I am going to do it with a roller, as I like the results that some have achieved on youtube, the guy at the paint shop mixed it up for this purpose and gave me some pointers. It is a Satin Finish. Does anyone have any further ideas or suggestions on this process? As a further question, the roll cage and frame in the tray is steel not aluminum, correct? Just want to use the rite primer. Thanks Grant

Interested to know how the paint job went