The Waterborne Symposium

Abstract

A global grand challenge today is to transition towards a sustainable economy. While there are many possible aspects to sustainability, some of the ones that can affect the coatings industry are the use of bio-based materials, pollution reduction, energy reduction, increasing coating functionality and durability, and recycling of unused paint. Due to environmental regulations over the past decades, the coatings industry has been addressing these issues by reducing VOC content in coatings, and switching to waterborne and powder coatings. In addition, the industry has had a legacy of using renewable materials such as seed oils, cellulosics, and bio-based solvents. Reductions in energy usage can be realized using radiation curing technology as well as elimination of intermediate baking steps in automotive production. Further research is being done to expand the use of biobased materials, increase coating durability and longevity, create “smart” and functional coatings and replace chemicals of concern. A question remains: How far can be go in creating a fully sustainable coatings industry?