BUFFALO GROVE, IL — ANGUS Chemical Co. announced that AMP™, a multifunctional specialty chemical that is widely used in paint formulations, metalworking fluids and personal care products, is no longer classified as a volatile organic compound by Canada’s Department of the Environment (Environment Canada).
Following on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) exemption of AMP in 2014, Environment Canada finalized an order to remove AMP from the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 due to the compound’s negligible effect on the formation of ground-level ozone.
“As global VOC regulations continue to proliferate, AMP has become an even more powerful tool for environmentally conscious customers to formulate more sustainable products,” said Mark Henning, President and Chief Executive Officer of ANGUS Chemical Co. “AMP’s Canada VOC exemption marks a huge win not only for our customers in Canada, who now have broader formulating flexibility, but also for consumers who will benefit from the desirable features AMP imparts in low- and zero-VOC paints, metalworking fluids and personal care products.”
AMP (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol) offers low odor, effective pH control, and a positive safety and handling profile. The compound, which is already being used as a key ingredient in a majority of water-based paints, now allows Canadian paint companies to avoid reformulating with less-favorable neutralizers, such as caustic soda or ammonia.