Expert insights from Wacker: Dr Christine Wagner and Lenine De Sousa Gomes on architectural coatings trends

What current trends in the architectural coatings segment are you currently observing?

Dr Christine Wagner: For architectural paints, customers demand products that are versatile, sustainable and offer high performance – ideally these three properties are combined in one product. Versatile binders – for indoor and outdoor applications, for example – reduce the complexity of paint manufacturers’ raw material portfolios and therefore help to increase efficiency. At the same time, we are seeing an increasing focus on sustainability when selecting products and a growing demand for certified eco-labeled products. This is due to stricter regulatory requirements, but also end customers’ growing environmental awareness: they demand low-odor products that are free of harmful substances and have a very low proportion of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VAE dispersions can be used to formulate very low-odor water-based interior wall paints with a VOC content of less than 1 g/l. They do not require solvents, plasticisers or organic coalescing agents and therefore contribute to a healthy indoor climate.

In the selection of raw materials, the carbon footprint of the product is an increasingly important factor. However, this is not only determined by the raw material’s carbon footprint per se. Its properties and efficiency in the formulation also play a role. For example, binders that enable formulations with a lower titanium dioxide content contribute to an overall lower carbon footprint of the end product. The performance characteristics and properties of the paint are not impaired. Product properties such as high opacity and wet abrasion resistance, which are synonymous with quality and performance, are important selection criteria for customers. VAE dispersions, as binders in paints, contribute to improving these product properties.

The increasing shortage of skilled workers, which is also affecting the paint and surface coatings industry, is driving another trend: the demand for products that can be processed quickly and easily. Applying just one coat of paint, which dries quickly and in a controlled manner, also saves time and money. This, too, is made possible by high-opacity paints. Customers are becoming more demanding, but the industry has many high-quality solutions to offer.

Where do you see the greatest growth potential for architectural coatings?

Lenine De Sousa Gomes: The poor condition of bridges is currently a major issue, and not just in Germany. According to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, more than 4,000 highway bridges in Germany alone will have to be completely renovated in the next few years.
Bridges supported by concrete pillars are seriously affected and are at great risk from increasing traffic, but also from moisture, road salt and seawater. They must be protected from environmental influences, otherwise there is a risk of massive structural damage. Products containing silane have proved particularly effective here. If silanes are hydrophobically functionalised, for example, they are highly water-repellent. They penetrate deep into the concrete and protect it from moisture and water-soluble pollutants over a long period of time without impairing its water vapor permeability. The surface therefore remains breathable, which is important to ensure that no moisture is retained in the concrete.

Studies show that silanes with long alkyl chains (e.g. iso-octyl) are particularly effective here. We therefore expect to see increased demand for these products in the near future. We also see significant growth potential in easy-to-clean applications. This refers to stain protection products for natural stone and other mineral substrates. Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated products currently dominate the market. Due to their degradation resistance and potential health risks, such products are increasingly viewed critically. Our chemists are therefore working on alternatives. However, the challenges are great. PFAS-containing products have good protective properties, both in terms of their oil and water-repellent effect. Finding a “one solution fits all” solution will therefore not be easy. However, we are working closely with our customers on new formulations. I am thus firmly convinced that we will soon see silicone-based products that come close to or even equal current easy-to-clean solutions in terms of their property profile.