Over 22,000 tonnes of UV curable
coatings were sold into the furniture and
construction industries in 2001 and the total market was valued at some
$179million. But, a new study from
Frost & Sullivan, international market
analysts, shows that product reformulation required to meet the EU VOC
directive will have a dramatic effect on the pricing structure and hence
the total value of the market.
Most UV curable wood coating formulations used in Europe contain some form
of volatile component, with very few being fully solvent free. These
solvent levels can range from small levels up to 70% in some
polyester-based formulations. The high solvent content coatings are
cheaper per kg and per coated area, and are more common in Southern Europe
- mainly
Spain & Italy ( two of the largest European wood coating
countries).
The Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) directive is set to drive the use of
solvents down which will force end-users to change to more expensive, lower
solvent alternatives. Depending on the application, the solvent
consumption threshold varies. Companies who are bound by the VOC directive
therefore varies between 0.5 tonne consumption for some processes, to 25
tonnes in others. It is rarely made clear that many UV curable wood
coatings still contain high levels of solvent.
"Prices for UV curable wood coatings depend primarily on the amount of
solvent in the coating. The high-solvent based coatings can be a factor of
10 cheaper than solvent free acrylate formulations. The average price is
rising as sales of these cheaper materials dwindle" says Brian Balmer,
Frost & Sullivan industry analyst.
The only truly solvent-free alternatives are
powder coatings. The market
is currently small, but the potential for these materials is enormous since
they offer a combination of processing and properties not available from
any other alternative. Until recently their use had been limited to metal
substrates such as in office furniture. But, with the introduction of
Infra-red lamps, which induce less
heating of the substrate we are seeing
their use on MDF and plastic substrates. The overall impact of these
technologies on growth of UV coatings in the industry will remain low for
some time to come, but will be competing directly against the more
developmental UV powder coatings.
European UV Curable Coatings Market report published May 2001.
Available to purchase from:
Frost & Sullivan, 4100 Chancellor Court, Oxford Business Park, Oxford, OX4
2GX, UK.
Sales Contact: Bill Stringer +44 (0) 1865 398651,
bill.stringer@fs-europe.com