Page 199 - CW E-Magazine (26-9-2023)

Special Report

requires coatings with significantly less protective field. These are not market- clean coatings that can enable removal
UV resistance and the Qualicoat stan- ing gimmicks, as these coatings pro- of unwanted graffiti from metal sur-
dards are different than that of Ameri- vide true functional benefits. faces. They find applications in lockers,
can standards. Because of difference mailboxes, restroom structures, public
in standards, most European extrusion Anti-microbial coatings inhibit the transport, playground equipment, etc.
coating infrastructure is dedicated to growth of bacteria and microbes on the
powder coatings, using different chemi- coating surface. They may have ingre- In addition to these, there are other
stries such as super-durable polyesters, dients that are pesticides and hence variants as well: thermo-chromic coat-
amongst others. require special regulatory approvals. ings that change colour on exposure to
With increasing health consciousness heat; mosquito-repellent coatings; etc.
In North America, buildings are ex- post-COVID, there is likely to be good These are some interesting develop-
posed to significantly higher quantum demand for such coatings. They find ap- ments and one must study the market
of UV radiations, hence the need for plication in hospitals, fitness equipment potential in the local market, before
higher performance. The fluoropoly- for gymnasiums, home appliances, etc. venturing into such niche areas.
mer-based liquid coatings have been
the standard in USA, based on preva- Retroreflective coatings are coatings Trend # 5: Heat sensitive substrates
lent specification practices and supply that improve visibility of riders at night A reduction in baking temperatures
chain infrastructure. Next-generation by reflecting the maximum light back means powders can be applied on more
powder coatings, based on FEVE, to its source. Such coatings, in liquid and more substrates, resulting in lower
complement the existing liquid coating form, have been used for long time for energy consumption, no VOCs, and
technologies and are gaining traction in pavement markings and street signages. therefore a more sustainable alternative
the North American markets. However, retroreflective powder coat- to liquid coatings and anodizing. This
ings are a relatively recent pheno- can open up newer markets such as MDF,
One note of caution. Fluoropoly- menon. This involves embedding reflec- wood, thermoplastics & composites.
mers are under increasing regulatory tive glass beads in the powder coating
scrutiny. The carbon-fluorine bond is formulation, such that they stay on the There is renewed interest in this
extremely difficult to break and this surface. area. This is also evident from the list
provides the super-durable properties of M&As that have happened with the
to the coatings. However, there is a flip Such coatings were launched by a intention of getting access to techno-
side to this. Recent studies have found coatings major in USA in 2021, in part- logy for low temperature curing. As
that a specific class of fluorochemicals, nership with bike-share company, Lyft. you would recall, PPG’s acquisition
i.e.,per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances There is an interesting backstory to this. of Alpha Coatings and Akzo Nobel’s
(PFAS) are resistant to heat, stains, oil, Abel Lopez, a Lyft engineer, was struck acquisition of Stahl’spowder coatings
grease and water. They are ‘forever and killed by a vehicle while riding his business was driven by their intention
chemicals’, i.e., they are difficult to bicycle in October 2020. So, when Lyft of penetrating the low temperature cur-
destroy. They can leach from coatings first launched its new fleet of e-bikes ing market.
into water bodies and enter the human coated with retroreflective coatings,
body. The European Union is consi- they did so in the colour, ‘Abel Gray Now there are at least two techno-
dering a ban on PFAS chemicals from finish’, as a tribute to its deceased logies available:
2026/2027 onwards, according to a employee. Thermosetting powder coatings for
Reuters report (www.reuters.com/article/ low cure temperature based on dif-
europe-chemicals-pfas-time-idUSL8N- In India, ~20,000 bicyclists die due ferent chemistries; and
34N32P. Impact of such regulations to road accidents every year, majo- Ultraviolet (UV) & infrared (IR)

need to be studied on the relevant pow- rity of which happen at night or in low technology – UV curing was intro-
der coating formulations. light. As of now, in India, some of the duced in 1990s, but hasn’t taken off
cycles have retroreflective tapes fixed as per expectations due to several
Trend # 4: Smart Powder coatings onto them, but powder coatings would challenges including high resin cost,
Smart coatings are coatings that definitely be more durable and effective requirement of special UV lamps,
respond in a controlled manner to a solution. red and yellow pigments not being
specific external stimulus and provide compatible with photo-initiators,
functionalities beyond decorative or Anti-Graffiti Coatings are easy-to- etc. Complex geometric shaped

Chemical Weekly September 26, 2023 199

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