TGIC Hazards Used as Powder Coating Curing Agent

Harmful Substances in Our Lives that We Do Not Know Well: TGIC (triglycidyl isocyanurate)

Mutagen! Organ Damage!

There are many harmful substances that we use but we do not know well in our lives.

Among them, we will learn about Triglycidyl Isocyanurate (TGIC) which is mainly used as a hardener.
TGIC is a raw material that is widely used as a curing agent in powder coatings using polyester resins.
The hardener is combined with the resin, which plays a role in the performance of the paint as a film.

There are two types of hardeners used in polyester resin powder coatings, a TGIC-free type hardener and a TGIC type hardener.

Powder coatings of polyester resins are wildly used in

• For indoor, industrial machines, interiors, furniture, home appliances, office furniture, electrical appliances, etc.
• For outdoor use, mobile parts, achitectural material such as fasade and window frames, electric control box, outdoor air-conditioner unit, etc.

Acute toxicity(GHS pictogram)

So now on, let's take a closer look at the harmfulness of TGIC.

• TGIC can be absorbed by the body through the skin. In addition, it can be introduced through the mouth or breath, and dust containing TGIC is often introduced into the body through breathing.
• If swallowed or inholed TGIC, it could damage the lungs, kidneys and digestive system.
• The more contact with TGIC, the more sensitive the body is to TGIC.
• TGIC can cause serious eye damage.
• Animal testing has shown that TGIC can cause genetic modifications.
• Blisters, itching, and swelling were observed in workers who used powder coatings or hardeners containing TGIC, asthma and leukocytosis in exposed powder spray workers, and atopic symptoms in exposed skin.
• Human tests of cancer patients showed toxic symptoms such as decreased spinal cord activity (blood production), dizziness, vomiting, white blood cell reduction, and partial hair loss.

There is still a lack of long-term testing for the effects of TGIC on the human body. So in addition to the hazards mentioned above, there may be more serious effects.

Health Hazard(GHS pictogram)

So please be aware of the following points when handling TGIC.

Where powder coatings containing TGIC are used,

1. Paint booths with limited access should be used.
2. Vacuums / suction cleaners should be used for cleaning to minimize dust.
3. If you use a powder coating with TGIC, you will need to wear personal protective equipment such as gloves, dustproof clothing, safety glasses and a dust mask.
4. Personal protective equipment must be worn in all processes of handling powdercoatings that containing TGIC.

To deal with TGIC as a raw material,

1. Vacuums cleaners should be used to minimize dust generation.
2. The process of handling raw materials must be designed to be sealed and automated as possible to minimize human access.
3. Dust collectors / suction facilities are provided throughout the workplace so that dust can be removed immediately.

Wherever TGIC is handled, safety training for personnel, training to wear personal protective equipment and provision of personal protective equipment should be provided and done.

TGIC should be more careful as its toxicity persists even after commercialization with raw materials.

Products containing TGIC are prohibited for use in some parts of China as well as in Europe.

Many countries are aware of the toxicity of TGIC, and regulations on safety training and dust collection facilities for workers are being implemented. Companies that used products containing TGIC are increasingly demanding TGIC-free products.

Reference :

1. NICNAS https://www.nicnas.gov.au/chemical-information/factsheets/chemical-name/triglycidylisocyanurate-tgic
2. WHO Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 8 TRIGLYCIDYL ISOCYANURATE

Link of the post in Korean: 유전자 변형! 장기손상! 유해물질 : TGIC(트리글리시딜 이소시아누레이트)

Most used E-mail abbreviations by Koreans in business

I will introduce some abbreviations and its meanings that Korean people like to use in a business e-mail.

ASAP: 'As Soon As Possible', It's a world famous, loved and most-used abbreviation and Koreans also love it and write it down on every e-mail they send.

CP: 'Cellular Phone'

Ex: 'Example'

FYI: 'For Your Information', This expression is usually used by a higher rank person when he/she share some information for his/her members.

HP: 'Home Page', it's company's web site.

PS: 'Post Script'

How to remove yellow mushrooms that suddenly appeared in plant pots

In order to improve the atmosphere and air of the house, the trend is to put plant pots in the house and it is called 'green interior'.

Pots are not completely sanitized products such as soil, fertilizers, etc., so when you put them into the house, there are things that we do not know inside pots. And it leads to unexpected pests, weeds and mushrooms in plant pots.

Among them, let's take a look at 'yellow primrose/horn mushroom (plantpot dapperling, Leucocoprinus birnbaumii)' which is a common mushroom in the house.

The yellow color of the mushroom is very pretty and cute, but the mushroom's spores is poisonous, and can harm the plant.

Yellow mushroom, where are you from?

Mushrooms are usually spread in pots through two routes.
The first is when spores come in through soil or fertilizer.
Second, spores can reach through a shovel, clothes or in the air. So ​​it's a good idea to get rid of potted mushrooms quickly before spreading spores.

Damn, the yellow is even beautiful!

How to remove mushrooms in pots

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to completely remove the mushrooms from the plant pots once they started to grow. As we know, mushrooms grow through hyphae, so even if you remove them, they can grow again at any time if the growth condition is correct.

This is why it is important to use fully sterilized soil of the plant pot when you plant.

Anyway let's see how you can get rid of mushrooms in the plant pot.

1. Remove the mushroom that you can see

First, when the mushrooms grow up, the spores from pileus will travel to everywhere they can reach though the air. So you need to quickly remove the mushroom and soil near the mushroom before the mushrooms spread to other plant pots.
Observe the plnat pots every day and remove the mushrooms.

Remove the yellow mushroom like this(with soil)

2. Change the whole soil in the plant pot.

In fact, removing mushroom such as above method is temporary. To remove the mushrooms, it is good to replace the whole soil of the plant pot. And it is important to remove soil from the roots of plants. It is also good method to soak roots in clean water.

3. Using a Mold / Mushroom Remover

It is said that mushrooms and fungi are almost identical. So if you use a mushroom / fungal remover where the mushroom is grown, you can see the effect. But be careful, it can harm the plant so before try, must see the detail of the remover.

4. Changing the environment

This is one of the easiest, surest and hardest ways. You can eliminate the environment where mushrooms grow by change location of the plant, light and air flow. If you remove the warm and humid environment, the mushroom spores will not grow. Also sunlight can kill the mushrooms and spores.

A good combination of the above methods will effectively remove the mushrooms in the pot. But it is very difficult to get rid of all the spores already spread around the pots, and if there is anything coming from outside (fertilizer, air, water, etc.), there is always the possibility of mushrooms growing again.


One hope, though, is that most mushrooms that grow in plant pots do not harm plants. If you don't eat it, there's no harm to person.

But if you raise young children or animals at home, they can touch or eat it because of curiosity. So even though the mushrooms are harmless, it would be better remove them as soon as possible.