Coatings World - July 2009

ing heavy-duty coatings such as bridges, water treatment facilities and for OEMs such as wind turbines. In these instances, epoxy-based coatings will experience a significant upswing in demand. A typical epoxy coating would of course include epoxy resin, some type of curing agent, fillers, color pigments/pastes, solvents and other ingredients depending on the specific formulation.

Again, chemical companies supplying these basic ingredients will also enjoy increased demand as a result of the stimulus bill. Other generic types of coatings will also be required depending on the particular project and end-use area. For example, aliphatic polyurethanes will be the topcoats of choice in many instances where greater gloss and color retention are desired

FEDERAL GRANTS/LOANS In general, Federal agencies offer more than 1,000 grant programs and access to approximately $400 billion in annual awards. Organizations can search and apply for grants from 26

different federal agencies through the Grants.gov site. For grant opportunities related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, you must use the Find Recovery Act Opportunities option on Grants.gov. Please note, once you have identified your grant opportunity on Grants.gov, it is very important to carefully read the instructions to ensure you are following proper submission procedures for that application, even if you have applied for grants before.

Companies may also be interested in learning about government loans. GovLoans.gov is a web site designed to help you learn more about federal loans. The site will help you determine which loans may best meet your needs and where to find more information about them.

CONCLUSION

Maintenance projects will of course represent the most immediate Federal Stimulus Bill sales potential for paint and coatings companies, and their raw

material ingredients, across all project types. New construction projects will take longer—from several more months to a couple of years—depending on the scope of the project and its timing.

Painting is of course done at the end of a project but suppliers must address any approvals and specification requirements well before that. The Federal Stimulus Bill will provide a definite upswing in demand for all the specialty chemicals constructions materials—from paints and coatings to composites, sealants and their raw material ingredients. A direct increase in demand is projected for the next two to three years as a result of Federal stimulus spending, with increased ongoing maintenance opportunities after that. CW