Additives Market Review & Forecast
The coatings additives market was down in 2009 compared to years past but the
handful of key suppliers Coatings World interviewed are optimistic that 2010
will bring slow recovery driven by the Asia-Pacific region.
BY TIM WRIGHT
EDITOR
Additives contribute significant- ly to coating performance. Besides the three main categories of ingredients—pigment, binder
and solvent—paint can have a wide
variety of miscellaneous additives,
which are usually added in very small
amounts and yet give a very significant effect on the product.
Some examples include additives
to modify surface tension, improve
flow properties, improve the finished
appearance, increase wet edge,
improve pigment stability, impart
antifreeze properties, control foaming, control skinning, etc. Other
types of additives include catalysts,
thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers,
texturizers, adhesion promoters, UV
stabilizers, flatteners (de-glossing
agents), biocides to fight bacterial
growth, and the like.
Due to advances in additives technology surface coatings have been
substantially improved over the
years. A 20-year paint job is now a
possibility, not a dream. Five-year
and 10-year life is common.
The additives market mirrored the
coatings and chemicals markets for
2009 and was weak compared to the
highs of 2007 and 2008. “We are seeing a rebound in the markets, particularly in the Asia Pacific region while
the U.S. and EU markets will slowly
return to normal in 2010,” said Robert
Miller, product manager, performance
additives, Troy Corporation.
Miller said the greatest challenge for
additive suppliers during 2010 will be
being able to provide products that add
to the value of customers’ products while
Photo: Troy Corp.
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.
meeting the challenges of regulatory
restrictions such as REACH, the
Biocidal Products Directive and GHS.
In 2009 BYK-Chemie GmbH saw a
major decline in business globally in
the first half followed by a period of
slow recovery during the second half.
“The U.S. and the EU markets are
still behind 2008,” said Frank
Dederichs, head of market communi-
cations, BYK-Chemie GmbH. “Due to
economy stimulation packages and
the overall improvement in the local
Asian markets—China, India and
certain SEA countries—the paint
additives market is recovering as
well. Forecasting 2010 is still very
difficult but the driving force for
business will be Asia again.
