ucts that meet a wide variety of
needs. Also, changes in polymer
emulsion chemistries used in coatings have created the need for more
robust biocides that provide a broader spectrum of protection.”
According to Magri, the need for
low- and zero-VOC coatings has driven the market for biocides in three
ways. “Low- and zero-VOC systems
are more susceptible to microbial
contamination, and therefore the
need for biocides is higher,” Magri
said. “Further, more sophisticated
and well balanced biocidal formulations are needed. Another point is
that much more care must be taken
regarding plant hygiene. Dow
Microbial Control has been focusing
on low- and zero-VOC systems for
several years, and we are well
equipped with a full product line for
the preservation of paints and technical expertise to help our customers
with plant hygiene.”
DOW CHEMICAL AND ROHM AND HAAS FORM NEW ORGANIZATION
The recent acquisition of Rohm and Haas by The Dow Chemical
Company was major news for the biocides market. The newly formed
organization, Dow Microbial Control, is a combination of Rohm and
Haas Biocides and Dow Biocides.
“We have set up a new structure to better address the needs of our
customers on a local basis,” said Celso Magri, strategic marketing manager, Dow Microbial Control. “We know that different regions have different paint systems, climate and regulations, which need to be locally
addressed. Therefore, we have created Customer Application Centers
(CACs) to address those local needs with the speed and expertise
required. All of them have fully equipped laboratories, which operate
independently but on the same quality standards. Each CAC is led by a
regional commercial manager, with a full team of customer application
specialists and technical sales representatives. Operational marketing
is also done on a local level. Finally, our global research and development for Microbial Control operates from three excellence centers:
Buffalo Grove, IL; Spring House, PA and Buchs, Switzerland. As a
result, we are capable of delivering effective anti-microbial solutions to
our customers that exactly match their local needs with unprecedented
speed and quality.”
COMPLYING WITH BPD
Regulations such as Europe’s recently enacted Biocides Products Directive (BPD) have presented a major
challenge for biocides suppliers. As
some actives are removed from the
offerings because they will not meet
the BPD’s standards, suppliers have
had to develop biocidal products that
are approved for use in Europe as
well as in North America and the
rest of the world. Companies that
were proactive in compiling the necessary data have fared well under
the new standards.
“Troy is addressing the requirements of the European BDP for a
number of key active ingredients,”
said Adrian Krygsman, director,
product registration, Troy Corp.
“Dedicated staff in our European and
U.S. corporate offices coordinate compliance efforts under this Directive
as well as other global regulatory initiatives that affect our business.”
Arch Biocides reported that it has
maintained a leadership position
within the industry in respect of the
BPD and fully supported all of the
company’s main actives through the
review process established by this
directive. “We are also pursuing a
proactive dialogue with the authorities,” said Tierney. “This effort has
required extra resources to be allocated for both toxicology and regulatory
activities. These demands are expected to continue well into the next
decade. As a result of these regulations, biocide suppliers have had to
focus on developing new formulations
for existing actives and blends.
According to Magri, Dow Microbial
Control has one of the largest portfolios of molecules notified under the
European BPD. “Although it is challenging to compile the information in
the format requested by the authorities, we are in a privileged position in
the industry,” said Magri. “We
already had much of the information
required for BPD as the data is needed to satisfy our own internal EH&S
standards.”
Despite all the challenges facing
the biocides market, manufacturers
continue to deliver innovative products to meet both environmental
regulations and their customers’
needs.
For in-can preservation, Arch has
developed Proxel BZ Plus preservative,
which combines two established actives
as an alternative to formaldehyde and
CMIT-based preservation systems.
Troy has recently launched a number of products to market, including
Polyphase 2085 for low-VOC solvent-based wood stains and Mergal 753,
an advanced, highly concentrated,
environmentally friendly, wet-state
preservative for paints and coatings
that is VOC- and formaldehyde-free.
Dow has recently launched three
products based on its LE (low emission) technology: Bioban IPBC 40 LE
Antimicrobial; Bioban Ultra BIT 20
LE Antimicrobial; and Bioban BP 30
LE Antimicrobial. Additionally, Dow
launched Rocima 200 in North
America, which is a water-based dispersion for dry film protection, as a
solvent-free alternative to its high
performing Rozone 2000. In Europe,
Dow launched Rocima 350 for dry
film protection of VOC-free paints
and Rocima 342, which is a good
option for customers whose systems
are not compatible with IPBC,
according to the company. For in-can
preservation, Dow recently developed
formulations developed several new
formulations that are VOC-free or
low-VOC, with or without formaldehyde releasers. CW
