Markets for industrial coatings in Europe - Past, present and future

Although known for three decades, the adoption by industry of the so-called clean coating materials ie. water-borne, powder, radiation-curable and high solids coatings, has been slow. The reasons include economic factors, low capital investment in new equipment, slow implementation of solvent emissions regulations and poorer performance of novel materials. It is anticipated that the market for these materials 'as delivered', will increase from 35% of the industrial coatings market at present to about 47% by 2004. Water-borne systems will increase their share from 13% to 22% and powders from 7% to 10% in the same period. Future markets for these clean systems will be examined.