According to Daniel Meyer, head of the Coatings Business Unit for the Asia Pacific region for Bayer MaterialScience, “We see a huge increase in awareness towards environment-friendly systems in the Chinese paint industry. There is absolutely no doubt that the Chinese industry is prepared to use the latest available technologies to reduce VOC emissions. Key drivers are, for example, homeowners who now prefer waterborne paints for their homes to avoid the odor that organic solvents leave behind. Also, businesses that have workers with high exposure to paints or adhesives – such as those in the automotive sector – are increasingly switching to environment-friendly waterborne technologies in the interest of worker health and safety.”
In line with the Chinese government’s growing emphasis on the environment, the coatings industry in China is expected to come under increasing pressure to switch to more eco-friendly materials, he added. Another factor behind the attractiveness of waterborne coatings is their ability to match, or even outperform, conventional coatings, Meyer said. “Waterborne polyurethane coatings have been proven to have, for example, longer-lasting adhesion, shorter dry-to-touch times, and are easier to maintain.”