Materials that are safe, cheap and readily available are difficult to develop. The exponential growth in human civilization and steeply depleting natural resources are the key forces driving sustainable development. Changes in legislation and increased awareness among innovators and end users have motivated academia and industry to adopt safer chemicals and friendly routes for new developments. The paint and coating industrial sector is encouraged and facilitated from the steps taken by academia in training the next generation of scientists and engineers towards sustainable growth and the development of new technologies. A recent analysis revealed that the world’s petroleum feedstock may not last long, depending on future demand. The chemical industry is one of the leading users of petroleum feedstock for the production of essential commodities. Notably, the paint and coatings industry is the foremost player in using petroleum feedstocks for developing its broad range of products. It is therefore vital for our industry to initiate efforts in the direction of self-sustainability. An intricate journey leading to a sustainable route is briefly outlined in this article. This brief review cannot be treated as comprehensive information available in open and patented literature but rather an overview of recent developments in sustainable chemicals for the paint and coatings industry. Also, no attempt has been made to promote any particular technology or product with respect to their competitor.
The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 laid the foundation for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1991 to adopt the concept of “green chemistry”. Dr. Kenneth G. Hancock, Dr. Joseph Breen and Dr. Paul T. Anastas were among the first few advocates of the green chemistry revolution. The term “green” was probably coined by Jan S. Aubert in his article on environment-friendly coatings that appeared in 1993.1 Later in 1998, Paul Anastas and John Warner published a book that affirmed the 12 principles of green or environment-friendly chemistry. The term green chemistry has become a synonym for sustainable chemistry and has been used interchangeably. However, green chemistry can be treated as a subset of sustainable chemistry. Increased awareness and lucrative government incentives in developed countries have motivated a large group of companies to adopt sustainable routes of technological developments. Among the chemical industries, the coatings industry has been at the forefront in adopting sustainable chemistry routes. Several global companies like AkzoNobel, PPG, Henkel, Axalta, RPM, Valspar, BASF and 3M have taken initiatives for the sustainable transformation of their business. Both government and industrial sectors are investing significantly for the development of environment-friendly products that could meet the stringent requirements similar to currently available products. According to a recent market research report, the global market of environment-friendly coatings in 2012 was estimated at about USD $84 billion and is expected to reach approximately USD $117 billion in 2018. This growth at a CAGR of 5.6 is due to the high demand of automotive, architectural and packaging coatings, and the printing industry.