Powder Coatings
Because of the dual advantage of durability and environmental friendliness,
powder coatings will likely continue to grow in the years ahead.
The global powder coatings market has grown from $3.6 billion
in 2001 to $4.5 billion in 2006.
Asia Pacific has led the globe in
growth, while Europe has been flat
and North Americ has grown at a 3.5%
annual rate.
“Today’s powder coatings market is
relatively healthy, although the
emergence of small local producers
has created over capacity in the
industrial segments, putting pressure on margins,” said Claudio
Iurilli, divisional marketing manager, Jotun Powder Coatings. “The raw
material price hikes and the heightened competition in emerging markets are likely to emphasize this
trend even further in 2009.
“Although powder coatings are
used in a number of applications
where stringent performance
requirements need to be met, in certain markets, especially in Asia
Pacific, the technology still suffers
from the ‘commodity syndrome,’”
Iurilli continued. “Increasing the
awareness among architects, specifiers and OEMs on the merits of powder coatings is crucial to building
confidence in the technology and
reduce the perceived risk associated
BY TIM WRIGHT
EDITOR
with the conversion from liquid to
powder coatings in regards to certain
applications.”
The Powder Coating Institute
(PCI), which represents the North
American powder coating industry,
reported growth in value but basically flat in volume, according to Craig
Dietz, commercial segment leader,
DuPont CoatingSolutions. “I believe
that 2008 will be more of the same.
Powder manufacturers are sandwiched in the middle of customers
who have many choices of where to
purchase powder, and our raw material suppliers who have plenty of
demand and are experiencing cost
increases,” he said. “So you have the
powder manufacturer who is receiving weekly price increases from their
vendors of materials, while experiencing higher energy, labor and
Source: Orr & Boss
