Innovations in

Green Floors and Coatings

Mary Kate Boggiano, Jeffrey S. Ross, Keith Quisenberry,
Dong Tian
Armstrong World Industries
2500 Columbia Ave, Lancaster, PA 17603

1
Agenda

9 Introduction to
Armstrong

9 UV Chemistry &
Greenhouse Gases

9 Natural Oil Elastomers

9 BioBased Tile

2
Introduction to Armstrong

9 Who we are
• Armstrong is a global leader in the design and manufacture of
floors, ceilings and cabinets. In 2007, Armstrong’s consolidated
net sales totaled approximately $3.5 billion. For more
information, visit www.armstrong.com.

Armstrong’s Corporate Headquarters

3
Introduction to Armstrong
9 Where we are
• Based in Lancaster, PA,
Armstrong operates 40 plants in
10 countries and has
approximately 12,800 employees
worldwide.

4
Introduction to Armstrong
9 What we do
• Members of the Innovation team work with Design, Marketing and
Manufacturing to develop new products that enable Armstrong to be an
industry leader.

Research new products

and technologies, test
theories and implement
new ideas for introduction
Armstrong Avenue… a dynamic showcase of
Armstrong products, featuring state-of-the art
displays, new products and tradeshow exhibits.

Design Consultation

Installation Training

5
Introduction to Armstrong

9 A History of Environmental Commitment

– In 1860, Armstrong began as a business that hand-cut cork
stoppers. Cork scrap accounted for about 65% of the raw cork that
was used. It was wasteful and very costly. The company found an
innovative solution by using the scrap to make corkboards, cork
tiles and linoleum, which uses cork flour as a key ingredient. This
led to our entrance into the flooring market.

– While UV coatings originated out of necessity to improve wear

performance, the lower emissions (VOCs and HAPs) were quickly
found to be of equal importance, especially for our California Plant
which is located in an area of strict environmental controls.

– All our ceiling plants recycle used tiles in the manufacturing

process. To date, more than 55 million square feet of tile has been
recycled and kept from landfills.

6
Armstrong’s Environmental Commitment
Armstrong’s Commitment to Environmental Sustainability:
Providing products and services to our customers that enable them
to reduce the environmental impact of the buildings they create

9 Our Policy on the Environment articulates the operating

fundamentals that support our commitment to sustainable
growth. We have selected four Environmental Priorities to reduce
our environmental footprint: Energy, Greenhouse Gases, Water,
and Responsible Forest Management.

7
Armstrong’s Environmental Goals

9 Develop an affordable,
sustainable hard surface flooring
product that performs like vinyl
resilient flooring
9 Reduce the use of limited natural
resources
• Replace with rapidly renewable
ingredients
9 Increase the recycled content to divert additional waste from
landfills and to limit virgin material usage
9 Meet low VOC emission standards to reduce impact on
indoor air quality

8
 UV Chemistry &
Greenhouse Gases

9
UV Coatings & Environmental Responsibility

9 Greatly reduced or eliminated VOCs and HAPs

9 No “Greenhouse Gas” emissions from process
9 Decreased total energy demand to dry and cure
9 Coated flooring products meet IAQ guidelines
• Certified by “FloorScore” to pass CA1350
• Compliant with requirements for LEED credits
9 100% Solids coatings reduce transportation energy
requirements by >60% and eliminate water & co-
solvent usage

9 Now operating UV/EB finish lines for wood & vinyl flooring and
cabinets worldwide
9 Recent -- New UV finish lines installed in Sweden, Germany,
China and North America
10
UV Wood Finishing System Example

10 layer UV Coating

Topcoats
& Sealers

Stain
Wood Base

11
Greenhouse Gas Emission Equivalents from UV Bulbs
70

60
9 Assumptions
• Includes CO2, N2O & CH4
50
• Uses Average (50 State) Equivalent Values

600 W/in
40 500 W/in
Lbs/hour

400 W/in
300 W/in
30 200 W/in
100 W/in

20
Bulb power

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Bulb Width (inches)

12
Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Solvent-Based
Stain Application vs 100% Solids UV

9 Assumptions 120
• Includes CO2, N2O & CH4
• Uses average (50 State) 100
Equivalent Values
• 18% Solids in solvent
• All HAPs compliant 80

Lbs/hour
• 60ft/min line speed
• Does not includes indirect 60
energy contributions of
make-up air & other process
motors 40
• Oven is gas fired high
velocity air heating, rated at
1.2MBTUH 20
• UV is two 300W/inch Hg arc
lamps, 60 inch wide 0
Gas Oven UV Cure

13
Biobased Elastomers
from Plant Oils

14
Eco-Innovations in Floor Covering Materials

9Raw Materials
• Renewable resources
9Properties
• High Flexibility
• Anti Tear/Abrasion
• Good Tint/Low Odor
9Process
• Environmentally Friendly
• Short Manufacturing Cycle
9Price
• Good Property-to-Cost Profile
• Competitive with PVC-based floor-covering
material
9Intellectual Property

15
Natural Raw Materials
Plant oils
Linseed Oil: Linolein
O

OR

RO
O
Castor Oil: Ricinolein
O

OR

OH
Soy Oil O RO
O

OR

RO
16
Chemical Pathways via Triglyceride Molecules

OH O

Ring Opening polymerization O

O
O
O O
OH O OH
O HO HO OH
O O
O HO OH
O
O O
O O
O OH
HO O
O
HO
O

O
Acrylate
O
O
O O O
Diacid, Diols, polyisocyanates O
O
O
O HO
OH

HO
O O
O

Polycondensation
MAH Epoxidized
O
OH
O
O OH
HO O O
O O
(CH2)n
O (CH2) O
OH O
O HO O
O O OH
Peroxide HO HO
O O HO
HO OH

AmidationGlycerolysis O O
O
(CH2)n

Free Radical Polymerization O O

O NH2
O
O N NH2
OH H
O HO
O OH

OH
O
Hydroxyl functionalities
OH
O
OH
OH
Polycondensation O O

{
HO OH
OH O
HO
O
HO
O O OH
O
O O O OH OH
OH OH OH
O
O N OH
O H
OH
X O

OH X=O or NH MAH
O O O

17
Castor Oil Prepolymers
O
O O
O

OR
HO (CH2)n OH

OH
RO

Catalyst, peroxide, or enzymes

OR

O O
RO

O (CH2)n
Interpenetrating
Polyester network
O Prepolymers

Polyacid Catalyst Temp Time to reach Gel Point

Sebacic Acid - 190 °C 8-10hrs
Sebacic Acid p-TSA/peroxide 220 °C 1-4hrs
Citric Acid p-TSA/peroxide 200 °C 5-10min
19
Formula Optimization

200 200
Ey = Young’s modulus
OH+COC/COOH
D-1 0.78
M echanical properties,psi

ε = Percent elongation
D-2 0.95
150 150
σ = tensile 1.01
D-3 strength
Ey

Elongation,%
100 100

50 ε 50
σ
0 0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
CO/Citric acid prepolym er ID

Systematic changes in the formulation result in material

property changes
20
MIGRATIONS ™

21
The Journey to BioStride

9 2005
• Funded two external research programs to develop rapidly
renewable materials into flooring
• Invested millions in manpower and a new research lab in
Lancaster to focus on a sustainable solution

9 2006
• Completed year of 24 hour/six day a week development
program
• The result was five patent applications and our New BioStride
Polymer

22
Natural Products to Manufactured Products
n o p q r
Harvest Sugar Fermentation Monomer Manufacturer
Corn extracted – turning into MIGRATIONS
from corn sugar into a Bio-based
monomer Polymer

Bio-based
polymer &
other
Kernels Glucose Monomer ingredients

Polymer

Endosperm
• Starchiest part of
corn Polymer: a
• Glucose (form of substance
sugar) is extracted Monomer: small composed of
molecule that molecules with
can be come large molecular
chemically mass composed of
bonded to other repeating
monomers to monomers Polymer used in
form a polymer connected by manufacturing
covalent chemical process
bonds

23
What is BioBased tile?
Tile Ingredients

COMPOSITION TILE
Binder System: Binder System:
• Polymer Resin (PVC) • Vinyl Resin (PVC)
• Plasticizer: flexibility • Plasticizer: flexibility
• Stabilizers: heat & light • Stabilizers: heat & light
• Processing Aids
• Processing Aids
Filler:
Filler:
• Limestone
• Limestone
– Mass and thickness at reasonable cost
– Mass and thickness at reasonable cost
– Adds dimensional stability
– Adds dimensional stability – Improves fire and smoke properties
– Improves fire and smoke properties
• 10% recycled limestone
_____________________________
• Pigments: color
• Pigments: color

85% limestone 10% recycled

13% vinyl 75% limestone limestone

1% pigments 1% recycled vinyl 1% pigments 14% BioStride

24
What is BioBased tile?
Tile Ingredients

COMPOSITION TILE

85% limestone ______

75% limestone _____ recycled
10%
limestone

1% pigments
13% vinyl
_____
1% pigments
1% recycled vinyl _____
14% BioStride

’ ____
13% of the BioStride is rapidly renewable
or
’ ______
2% of total weight of the BBT tile
25
What is BioBased tile?
9 A revolutionary new ________
category of flooring made with
_______
rapidly _________
renewable __________
resources

Î Breakthrough patent-pending polymer

Î Contains biobased, rapidly renewable ingredients
Î Unique plant-based composition
“We knew rapidly renewable was
Î Reduces reliance on: the right thing to do, for both its

• Petroleum environmental payback and

practical benefits to end-users.”
• Fossils fuels - Frank Ready, President Armstrong
Floor Products

26
Introducing Migrations

Why Composition Tile

Format?
9 Enhanced range of green benefits
9 An affordable greener option
9 Enhanced performance over
Composition Tile with classic looks
9 No additional maintenance on
installation requirements
9 Industry leading quality from the
most trusted name in the industry

“Our aim in applying this development initially to composition tile, the most used
category of resilient flooring is to exert maximum pro-environmental impact on the
market, with a greener product option at a more affordable price point.”
- Frank Ready – President, Armstrong Floor Products

27
Introducing Migrations BBT
Enhanced Range of Green Benefits

9 Patent-pending Polymer
9 Made with rapidly renewable
US-grown plant ingredients
9 Reduces reliance on 9 Low VOC emissions
petroleum & fossil fuels 9 FloorScore™ certified
to CA 1350

MIGRATIONS™

9 Contributes to 4 LEED credits

9 10% preconsumer recycled
content (limestone) • Recycled content
9 Reduces use of virgin materials • Regional materials
(depending on location)
• Rapidly renewable
• Low VOC emissions
28
Introducing Migrations BBT
Enhanced Range of Green Benefits
– What Does it Mean?

VCT vs. BBT East Side Health Clinic

20,000 sq ft job

9 BBT saves energy and

natural resources equivalent
to ___
72 gallons of gasoline
20,000 sq. ft.

9 BBT diverts ________

2,800 lbs of waste
from landfills – (recovered
limestone used in manufacturing)

29
Introducing Migrations BBT
Enhanced Performance over
Composition Tile

INDENTATION IMPACT
RESISTANCE RESISTANCE

WINNER WINNER
Migrations 9 Migrations 9
vs. vs.
Comp Tile Comp Tile

Twice the indent

’_______ Five times greater
’__________
resistance resistance to impact

30
Technical Information
I’m confused with all of these
“green” claims. Which floors
have bio-based content?
Vinyl sheet - BBT
homogeneous

RUBBER Amtico
TILE
Vinyl sheet -
LVT Vinyl sheet -
inlaid

heterogeneous
VCT
Amtico - Canada
RUBBER
LINOLEUM SHEET
31
32
Summary
9 Armstrong has a legacy and ongoing commitment to environmental
initiatives

9 UV-cured coatings reduce energy and materials use, as compared to

solvent and water-based coatings

9 Bio-based elastomeric materials from renewable resources were

developed
• Polymerization of castor oil

• Structure-Property relationships found through formulation optimization

9 Bio-based polymer developed for composition tile products

• Polymer contains components derived from corn

• First product …Migrations

9 Opportunities for future work at Armstrong

33
Acknowledgements
9 Green Chemistry Centre of
Excellence

9 Richard W Tock and Harry W

Parker, Texas Tech University

9 AFP North America Innovation

Team

9 AFP Europe Innovation Team

34