Additives for Plastic Coatings

A waterborne coating is an environmentally friendly surface treatment that uses water as a solvent to disperse the resin used to make the coating or paint. Water comprises a minimum of 80% of the solvent used. Its aim is to make the coating or paint an easy-to-apply, eco-friendly product. Waterborne coatings are widely used due to their low VOC (volatile organic compounds) content.

Solventborne coatings are surface treatments that contain VOCs. Advances in waterborne coatings are making them an increasingly attractive option as a method of protecting material surfaces even in harsh conditions. Solventborne coatings can be differentiated by their VOC content, which can range from medium solids (approx. 50% VOC) up to ultra high solids (less than 10% VOC).

A UV coating is an organic surface treatment that is cured by ultraviolet radiation. The VOC content of these coatings can range from 0-50%. UV coatings offer the benefit of having a very fast curing mechanism (<1s) which allows the paining process to progress quicker.

Jane Goh, senior chemist at Evonik’s research hub in Singapore, discusses the challenges associated with formulating environmentally friendly, high-performance industrial coatings.

Watch the full video