VOC Directive Heralds Change for UV Curable Wood Coatings
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
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