Atomic Force Microscopy Brings New Possibilities to Waterborne Wood Coatings
Industry demand for waterborne, low-odor coatings products continues to inspire manufacturers and suppliers to examine new, better, and more durable formulations. The challenge in moving to waterborne formulations has been in the ability to deliver the performance levels that have come to be expected with solventborne products. This is especially prevalent in the area of wood coatings, where acceptance of waterborne, low-odor products is slower because of the extremely high demand for performance and durability.
Currently, at 5 million dry pounds, waterborne coatings comprise only 10% of the wood coatings market, which is estimated at 50 million dry pounds. Total market size for this category is $400 million. The use of waterborne wood coatings is expected to grow at a rate of 7–10% annually at the expense of solventborne systems. If and when performance enhancements are brought to the market, and regulatory changes implemented at the manufacturing level, this growth in waterborne systems could very likely accelerate to occupy a higher proportion of the overall market.