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EPA-FUNDED SMALL BUSINESS RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS TIBBETTS AWARD
Release Date: 10/04/2001
Contact Information:
FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2001
EPA-FUNDED SMALL BUSINESS RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS TIBBETTS AWARD
Luke C. Hester 202-564-7818 / hester.luke@epa.gov
Luke C. Hester 202-564-7818 / hester.luke@epa.gov
Aster, Inc. of Fairborn, Ohio, an EPA-funded small business which has operations in Dayton, Ohio and Charleston, SC., received the 2001 Tibbetts Award, given by the Small Business Administration on Oct. 2. Aster developed a commercial process to recycle automotive overspray paint waste. The Tibbetts Awards are given annually to small businesses working in research and development that are "models of excellence" in the area of high technology. Aster has patented several methods to recycle paint sludge into ingredients for sealants that are used in rubber/cloth composite roofing materials. In the preferred process, paint sludge is treated by agitating the concentrated sludge in a vacuum to create a dehydrated putty. It is used in turn as a critical ingredient that helps a roof sealer achieve the desired properties of adhesion and weathering durability. The product forms a tough and flexible seamless roof surface that is sprayed directly in place with a safe, solvent-less, water-based coating. Paints and coatings, especially those used in the automotive industry, are a significant source of chemical waste. It is estimated that nearly 40 percent of the six gallons of paint used to produce the exterior finish on an automobile ends up as waste. Typically, the waste paint solids, known as paint sludge, are concentrated for disposal in a landfill. More information is available at: www.epa.gov/ncerqa/sbir.
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