Removing old paint or graffiti is a big business. Traditional paint strippers contain volatile organic solvents which can cause harm to the environment and are also hazardous to the people who use them.

Du Pont have developed and environmentally friendly paint stripper that contains the biodegradeable solvent, Dibasic Ester (DBE). It is a clear, colourless, liquid which contains a mixture of dimethyl esters.

Operators need to wear breathing apparatus when using paint strippers containing more harmful solvents. With DBE this is not necessary and paint can be simply washed off using a jet of hot water. DBE is also completely biodegradeable and so is much more environmentally friendly than traditional paint removers.

Different mixtures of DBE can be used in a range of applications such as inks, coatings, agriculture and adhesives.