Despite being introduced into the commercial market more than 50 years ago, vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer dispersions (VAEs) remained in a niche mode until early in the last decade. Since then, two main drivers have helped raise the profile and importance of VAE copolymers in the U.S. architectural coatings industry. First was the introduction of nationwide VOC regulations in 1999. Reducing VOCs required using binder technology with a lower solvent demand. VAE copolymers provided an ideal solution because they are inherently low-VOC-capable.
The more recent driver affecting VAE copolymer utilization has to do with raw material feedstocks. The “shale gale” created by advanced drilling technologies in the last few years has had a revolutionary effect on domestic natural gas feedstocks and has accordingly helped make VAE copolymers more cost competitive.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2011 Early Release Overview, issued Dec. 16, 2010, forecast “about double the shale gas production and over 20% higher total lower-48 natural gas production by 2035 … A higher updated estimate of domestic shale resources supports increased natural gas production at prices below those in last year’s Outlook.” Bottom line: there is a growing disparity between the cost of natural gas and that of crude oil.
Polymer dispersions where the monomers are produced from crude oil are saddled with a fluctuating raw material supply (primarily imported monomers) and volatile, globally driven market prices. In contrast, natural gas-derived VAE copolymers have emerged as the vanguard in coatings technology, with increased supplies and moderating costs extending an already long list of benefits.