Radcure
Coatings Market
The market for UV and EB coatings is
strong and continues to grow.
BY TIM WRIGHT
EDITOR
The major trends in the global coatings industry revolve
around environmental concerns and the reduction of
VOC emissions, reducing energy costs, improving productivity and improving performance. These four factors are
driving companies across all segments of the coatings industry
to look for alternative coatings technology. As a result, radiation curable coatings represent the fastest growing coatings
segment because they offer numerous advantages including
rapid curing process, less scrap, small footprint, less work in
process, a reduction in utility usage, reduction in VOCs and
improved performance.
“Ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) coatings have
tremendous environmental advantages over solvent-based
finishes. The local air regulators along with the EPA continue
to tighten emissions standards, which drives business either
to areas of lesser regulation or to more compliant coatings,”
said Don Hart of Mid America Protective Coatings. “UV/EB
coatings are easy to recycle since they do not dry until they are
exposed to UV light or EB radiation. Most UV/EB coatings can
be recycled almost indefinitely unless contaminated. Solvent-based coatings contain petroleum derived solvents that do not
add to the final coating but still must be purchased in order to
apply the finish.
“Additionally, UV/EB finishes can usually be applied and
cured in less than one-half the plant space of a conventional
finish line,” Hart continued. “And the energy required to
dry/cure a UV/EB coating is usually about one-third that for a
thermally cured coating.”
UV/EB coatings offer a much quicker processing time, added
Kristy Wagner, UV commerical products senior chemist,
RedSpot Paint & Varnish Company. “Lower processing temperatures enable the use of plastics with a lower heat distortion temperature,” she said. “UV/EB coatings have been able to
pass more chemical resistant testing due to the crosslinking
involved in the curing process. Also, UV curable coatings tend
to have a higher gloss than water-based coatings.”
UV/EB COATINGS MARKET ANALYSIS
The state of the current market for UV/EB coatings is very
strong and continues to grow. “The market analysis I have seen
shows that UV coating technology is growing between 8-13%
on average over the next five to seven years,” said Timothy
Tanner, vice president of business development, Ecology
Coatings. “While EB technology is showing growth it lags
behind UV. I have seen a great deal of interest and desire to
implement UV curable technology across all different segments of the industry.”
Representing 1.82% of all coatings globally, and predicted
to increase to a 2.2% share by 2012, the total value of global
radcure coatings in 2007 was $1.410 billion, up from $1.325
billion in 2006, according to The Chemark Consulting Group,
a consulting firm focused on the coatings, adhesives and
sealants industries based in Southern Pines, NC.
Demand for radcure coatings in North America was
strongest at 54,100 tons valued at $505 million, up from 51,872
tons valued at $485 million in 2006. In the EU demand was
just behind at 52,000 tons valued at $484 million, up from
50,000 tons valued at $465 million the year before. Growth
rates for the North American and EU markets for 2007 were
4.1% and 3.8% respectively.
Rest of the world (ROW) markets for radcure coatings were
valued at $347 million in 2007, up from $325 million the year
before. Together growth in the ROW markets in 2007 slowed
a bit from 7.8% in 2006 down to 6.5% last year. While China
is still by far the fastest growing market it too slowed down
from 11.9% to 9.9% last year.
In 2008, Chemark estimates global radcure coatings
will grow at 5.9%. Growing at a rate of six percent per
year, the radcure coatings market globally will reach
$1.790 billion by 2012, the firm said.
“Radcure systems are perfect for coating two-dimensional
objects requiring fast throughput rates, immediate packaging capability, clear-coats, exceptional hardness and scratch
resistance, and fad resistance,” said Phil Phillips, managing
partner, Chemark.
Therefore, such products as automotive headlight lenses,
overprint varnishes, wood and plastic flooring, stamping
foil, eyewear, vinyl wood grain, photographic film, plastic
tubing, plastic road makers and clear acrylics for pipe are
but a few examples where radcure coatings are ideal,
according to Phillips.
