Tamiya Spray Paint banned in Canada

[Lord Rory Gin]

Yep. You probably have already heard that in September it became illegal to import Tamiya spray paints into Canada. It has to do with the Dimethyl Ether content and the damage it can do to the environment (high) and to your health (low). Bananas give off ethers as they ripen, for example. So until this affects sales in enough countries, Tamiya will likely not reformulate the paints just for Canada. Current stock in stores can apparently be sold but imports are being stopped and even destroyed at the border. My dealer told me that the primers contain the highest amount of Dimethyl Ether; I've been looking online and can't find any of that still available. Stock of the other colours is in very short supply so after inventories are gone, you aren't going to see it ever again. WD-40 has the same issue and the existing formula was banned in Canada as of Jan 1/24 and this is only now catching up with Tamiya paints. WD-40 for sale after Jan 1 had to be reformulated to reduce the VOC levels drastically.

This does not affect the liquid version, just the sprays where it is used as a propellant (TS, PS, and AS lines) So if you convert to airbrush painting you can still use the small bottles of airbrush paint.

 

[lr64]

I wonder what proportion of dimethyl ether emissions are from spray cans? If they're banning diethyl ether as well, how are people going to start engines in Nunavut? Or even Winnipeg? ;-)

Incidentally, I think airbrush finishes often come out better than finishes from spray cans.

 

[kuririn]

A quick google search shows it is listed as an "environmentally friendly" alternative fuel for diesel engines.

 

[Daddyisabar]

The Bootleg business will thrive just like Smokey and the Bandit with Coors Beer. How to you paint delicate foam with out expensive air brushes? Modelers will be despirate!

Singing: "We got a long way to go and a short time to get there."

 

[Art Upton]

Regular Wal-Mart Krylon was awesome paint a long time ago in a paint booth far away. I bought up most all I could before it disappeared. I still have some but now most times it gets clogged in the can as it's very old.

Now normal Krylon is junk due to regulations. Some of the 'specialty' $$ cans still work good.

Hopefully in the USA we won't have to deal with this for some years now down the road.

 

[lr64]

oops! Forget what this post used to say. No point in stirring up trouble.

 

[Initiator001]

California had a change in it's environmental laws 3-4 years ago.

Tamiya spray paints disappeared from hobby shops at this time.
Tamiya reformulated the paint and it has returned to hobby shops.

If it can be sold in California I think the rest of the USA should be okay.

 

[jahall4]

Hopefully in the USA we won't have to deal with this for some years now down the road.

And given that changed political climate this is even more likely to be true.

 

[Lord Rory Gin]

California had a change in it's environmental laws 3-4 years ago.

Tamiya spray paints disappeared from hobby shops at this time.
Tamiya reformulated the paint and it has returned to hobby shops.

If it can be sold in California I think the rest of the USA should be okay.

Hmm, I got an update from a local hobby shop - Tamiya is in the process of reformulating its paint to use a different propellant. It might be a while to get the new paints out to the dealers but since it is basically non-painting season here, a switch over to the reformulated paints in the New Year is probably in the cards. I went online and tried to find grey or white primer and it is almost nowhere to be found! I wonder if this is the same issue that hit California?

 

[cls]

California has had ongoing issues generally with VOCs because they cause smog, probably are carcinogenic too. at first it was only in SF bay area counties and LA basin. but now the restrictions are everywhere. I don't know if diethyl ether is on the list, I bet it is. heck, can't even buy denatured alcohol in CA. I have to smuggle it from Nevada.

individually we resent it, but there's 340 million of us, everything we do, even a little bit, adds up. tons and tons of VOCs in the air, daily. yuck. impossible for anyone to really comprehend the scale of these things.

 

[ljwilley]

My guess is that they did some study that showed that it was bad for the environment, and didn't really test what damage the spray paint itself would do. I have a hard time believing that Tamiya spray paint is going to have any real impact on the environment on it's own.

 

[NTP2]

My guess is that they did some study that showed that it was bad for the environment, and didn't really test what damage the spray paint itself would do. I have a hard time believing that Tamiya spray paint is going to have any real impact on the environment on it's own.

Millions of it will, an air brush isn’t that expensive and it’s much more environmentally friendly.

 

[nickt.mrc]

I guess you could do what I do sometimes, which is simply not paint it at all.

 

[VAXman]

Really? Dimethyl Ether? It's one of the simplest ethers and it's an isomer of ethanol. Those Canadians better be careful or their beer may be next!

I haven't found any info regarding how it is so harmful.

 

[Titan II]

Millions of it will...

What data could you produce to back up your claim?

 

[NTP2]

What data could you produce to back up your claim?

That it damages the environment or the millions of it? Well the US uses 3.5 billion cans a year so I assume that Canada uses at least a million. For the environment, it apparently makes a good fuel. It’s a carcinogen and dissolves in water, I can see that being bad, especially in super high concentrations, how much is in the cans?

 

[Titan II]

That it damages the environment or the millions of it? Well the US uses 3.5 billion cans a year so I assume that Canada uses at least a million. For the environment, it apparently makes a good fuel. It’s a carcinogen and dissolves in water, I can see that being bad, especially in super high concentrations, how much is in the cans?

The US uses 3.5 billion cans of Tamiya spray paint per year?

 

[NTP2]

The US uses 3.5 billion cans of Tamiya spray paint per year?

All spray paint.

 

[Titan II]

All spray paint.

Your response "Millions of it will" was specifically to jwilley saying "I have a hard time believing that Tamiya spray paint is going to have any real impact on the environment on it's own." The conversation was specifically about Tamya spray paints and it's impact on the environment. The 3.5 billion figure is not relevant. I'm out.

 

[NTP2]

Your response "Millions of it will" was specifically to jwilley saying "I have a hard time believing that Tamiya spray paint is going to have any real impact on the environment on it's own." The conversation was specifically about Tamya spray paints and it's impact on the environment. The 3.5 billion figure is not relevant. I'm out.

It was to illustrate the scale of it, I can’t find specifics on spray paint in Canada let alone just one brand.

 

[Art Upton]

All spray paint.

Does all spray paint contain Dimethyl Ether? One of the simplest ethers and it's an isomer of ethanol.

 

[Art Upton]

"The simplest ether, it is a colorless gas that is a useful precursor to other organic compounds and an aerosol propellant that is currently being demonstrated for use in a variety of fuel applications."

"Dimethyl ether is also used as a propellant in aerosol products. Such products include hair spray, bug spray and some aerosol glue products."

"Dimethyl ether is also relatively non-toxic"

"It is also a promising fuel in diesel engines,[24] and gas turbines. For diesel engines, an advantage is the high cetane number of 55, compared to that of diesel fuel from petroleum, which is 40–53.[25] Only moderate modifications are needed to convert a diesel engine to burn dimethyl ether. The simplicity of this short carbon chain compound leads to very low emissions of particulate matter during combustion. For these reasons as well as being sulfur-free, dimethyl ether meets even the most stringent emission regulations in Europe (EURO5), U.S. (U.S. 2010), and Japan (2009 Japan).[26]"

 

[NTP2]

"The simplest ether, it is a colorless gas that is a useful precursor to other organic compounds and an aerosol propellant that is currently being demonstrated for use in a variety of fuel applications."

"Dimethyl ether is also used as a propellant in aerosol products. Such products include hair spray, bug spray and some aerosol glue products."

"Dimethyl ether is also relatively non-toxic"

"It is also a promising fuel in diesel engines,[24] and gas turbines. For diesel engines, an advantage is the high cetane number of 55, compared to that of diesel fuel from petroleum, which is 40–53.[25] Only moderate modifications are needed to convert a diesel engine to burn dimethyl ether. The simplicity of this short carbon chain compound leads to very low emissions of particulate matter during combustion. For these reasons as well as being sulfur-free, dimethyl ether meets even the most stringent emission regulations in Europe (EURO5), U.S. (U.S. 2010), and Japan (2009 Japan).[26]"

That’s fine, but if it’s like 100% then it could still be a problem. I’m not saying it’s silly just that there’s got to be a reason.

 

[Art Upton]

But NOT a problem to replace Diesel fuel and meet emissions regulations ?

Frankly there would be much more use then spray paint and Sherly there would be more produced.

 

[NTP2]

But NOT a problem to replace Diesel fuel and meet emissions regulations ?

Frankly there would be much more use then spray paint and Sherly there would be more produced.

Just because something’s better than the alternative doesn’t mean it’s good.

 

[Raythain]

But NOT a problem to replace Diesel fuel and meet emissions regulations ?

Kinda comparing apples and oranges to equate environmental impact of a compound both pre-combustion (spray paint propellant) and post-combustion (as a fuel).

If your truck engine was putting out the same percentage of dimethyl ether as comes out of a Tamiya can, you’d probably be getting a new fuel system or engine.

At least that’s my guess without seeing a tailpipe report of dimethyl ether as a fuel. If it turns out to only be 50% consumed or something silly like that, then it’s probably a loophole in the tailpipe emissions standards that needs to be closed.

 

[burkefj]

How to you paint delicate foam with out expensive air brushes? Modelers will be despirate!

Tamiya eats the foam I use, krylon short cuts or model master small spray is fine..

 

[Daddyisabar]

Tamiya eats the foam I use, krylon short cuts or model master small spray is fine..

Kryon ate up my Estes MIRV.

 

[burkefj]

Kryon ate up my Estes MIRV.

Short cuts enamel in the small rattle cans?

 

[Art Upton]

Kryon ate up my Estes MIRV.

Long Ago in a Wal-Mart far away... Regular Krylon was Lacquer paint.. dried in 10 mins or even less...that would eat foam. The little cans are now different.

You can still find the Lacquer in Black and White called 'specialty' however... I found even Tamiya thin masking tape will peal it off a white body tube now and did not before. That was after days of drying. It just didn't stick well to the white glassine tube.