DuPont Refinish has announced the discontinuation of the inclusion of leaded pigments in all of its refinish paint products. All passenger car formulas and all remaining commercial vehicle lead-containing topcoats such as Centari MasterTint and Imron PowerTint range have now been converted to lead-free formulas, giving refinishers  immediate access to suitable alternatives.

DuPont Refinish brand marketing coordinator for Ireland and the UK, Lindsey Swaine, said, "Whilst the use of leaded pigments was discontinued in the OEM arena a number of years ago, customer demand and the perceived benefits of lead pigments in the industrial and refinish segments has meant supply has continued." She added, "With our strong links to our parent company, DuPont, it is important to reinforce its core direction of sustainable growth coupled with a promise of safety, health and environmental excellence. The new lead-free alternatives are being published through our colour retrieval website weekly updates."

To help improve topcoat paint consumption, DuPont Refinish strongly advises all bodyshops to use its ValueShade primer concept when carrying out vehicle refinishing. This advanced technology allows for improved topcoat coverage by using one of seven shades of grey primer. Swaine commented, "Tests have proven again that when bodyshops use the correct ValueShade, it considerably reduces the numbers of coats, needed to reach optimal hiding of the lead-free CV topcoat. The ValueShade technology is very easy to use, as the correct ValueShade will be indicated when retrieving a colour formula online."

For more information about the DuPont Refinish commitment to the environment or ValueShade technology, please visit www.dupontrefinish.co.uk.