Low-Carbon Paints Take Shape in New Industry Alliance
Image courtesy of Arkema.
Arkema, AkzoNobel and Omya announced a joint initiative to develop decorative paint formulations with a significantly reduced carbon footprint—achieving reductions of 30% or more compared to conventional products. The project, aimed at enabling mass-market adoption, targeted up to 50% carbon reduction without compromising performance.
The companies combined expertise to create new formulations using raw materials with up to 40% circular sources. Contributions included Arkema’s bio-based and bio-attributed binders and additives, Omya’s calcium carbonate minerals for opacity and recycled content, and AkzoNobel’s formulation optimization to reduce high-carbon materials such as titanium dioxide.
“Thanks to advanced lab automation and AI-driven experimental design, commercially relevant paint formulations with considerably reduced carbon footprint were achieved within a short time,” said Philipp Mueller, vice president of construction at Omya.
Julie Haevermans, chief marketing officer at Arkema Coating Solutions, added, “We wanted to collectively accelerate the development of next-generation paints to meet industry and consumer demand, evolving regulations, and green building certifications.”
David Williams, chief innovation officer at AkzoNobel, noted that the resulting formulations maintained key performance criteria such as brightness, yellowing resistance, and wet scrub resistance.
The collaboration used ISO 14040, 14044 and 14067 standards to assess cradle-to-grave carbon footprint, including biogenic uptake. The companies plan further collaboration and encourage broader industry participation to support sustainable innovation in coatings.
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