TECHNOLOGY

The most significant trend over the past 20 years has been the growth of water based paints and the decline of solvent based paint production. The latest ABS statistics show binding paints split 23% solvent and 77% water based. It is expected that far greater use of water based technologies in industrial applications will occur in the future due to convenience of use and environmental and health and safety considerations.

Ten years ago it was said that very few Australian companies undertook basic research relying instead on formulae and technology acquired from overseas affiliates. While local manufacturers still import overseas technology it is increasingly modified to meet local performance requirements. In a reverse situation some Australian manufacturers are now exporting locally developed technology to Asia.

Although technical innovation in any science-based industry is slow and continuous, it is possible to detect some significant new trends that have manifested themselves over the last few years. These have affected materials and methods of application. Most of these are amply covered int he literature (e.g. Surface Coatings Australia, JOCCA, Paint and Resin etc) on a regular basis and also in various symposia.

These changes can be considered as a natural evolution of the industry, from being based originally on naturally occurring materials (such as oleoresinous varnishes and enamels and the nitre-cellulocics) through the synthetic resins (such as alkyds and acrylics) to the plethora of types that are in current use.

The present stage of evolution of the coatings industry began in the early 1970s, primarily as a result of increased concerns over the impact of certain chemicals on the environment, notably the effects of solvent emissions which accelerated a trend towards the development of water-based and other types of coatings able to meet various statutory requirements.

The technologies which evolved can be categorised into six distinct groups, as follows:

• · improved low solids (<70%), solvent-based systems
• · high solids systems (<70%), solvent-based systems
• · water-borne coatings
• · reactive (two-part catalysed) systems
• · powder coatings
• · radiation cured systems (ultra-violet and electron beam).
• One surface coating that is relatively new and growing at 5-8% per annum, is powder coatings. Many segments of the market, notably automotive coatings are heavily affected by economic cyclic activity. Marine paint growth rates have remained virtually static since 1980. There has been a decline in the demand of for wood stains since 1970.