DUBLIN, Ireland – According to a new study released by Research and Markets, the global matting agents market is witnessing growth due to increasing applications, technological advancements, and increased demand in the Asia-Pacific region, mainly from Southeast Asia, China and India. Rapid urbanization, increasing disposable incomes, and a growing preference for matte finish among consumers will account for the most long-term growth in the market. High-VOC emissions in solvent-based technology and a comparatively higher film shrinkage time in other technologies are expected to hinder the growth of the matting agents market. 

Radiation-cure systems are categorized in two groups, formulations that have organic solvents, such as reactive diluents, and formulations that are 100% solvent free. For formulations with solvents as diluents, matting properties depend on the property of the film. For formulations with 100% solvent-free systems, materials such as silica are treated with waxes and fillers to improve the matte finish, and thorough rechecks are done to get the desired matte finish. Environmental concerns are leading matting-agent manufacturers to focus on reducing the organic solvent content in coatings formulations. High-solid coatings contain low to zero organic volatile solvents. These coating systems are difficult to formulate with a matte finish due to lower shrinkage, the presence of high-solid coarse particles and lack of the evaporation process due to the absence of solvents. However, to meet the required efficiency in matting, the particle size is matched with the dry film thickness.