Paint spray booth treatment

Claim 1

A process for detackifying and coagulating paint, lacquer, or enamel in spray booths in which water is used to wash air in said booth and to remove oversprayed paints, enamels, or lacquers from said water prior to said water being recirculated for further washing the air in said spray booth, said process consisting essentially of the steps of adding to said water a sufficient amount for the purpose of a water-soluble or water-dispersible cationic polymer selected from the group consisting of: condensation polymers of dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin and ethylene diamene, condensation polymers of melamine and formaldehyde, condensation polymers of diethylenetriamine and adipic acid and epichlorohydrin, condensation polymer of dimethylaminopropylamine and epichlorohydrin, and condensation polymer of dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin, in selective combination with a sufficient amount for the purpose of a water-soluble salt selected from the group consisting of metasilicate, orthosilicate, disilicate, mixed silicates, metaaluminate, molybdates, phosphomolybdates and phosphates, the anion of said salt reacting with said polymer to cause said polymer to form a precipitate in said water which in turn detackifies and coagulates said paint, lacquer or enamel to provide a paint sludge that is high in solids and low in volume.