According to a soon to be released study by the consulting firm Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney, U.S. coating consumption was 8.4 billion pound solids (dry weight) worth $26.6 billion in 2015 and is growing at a mature 1% annual rate. The architectural segment leads in pounds with 47% of the dry weight and is equal to the OEM segment in dollars with each representing 38% of the value.  The OEM segment was 28% of the dry poundage. Special purpose coatings were just over one-quarter of the volume and 24% of the dollars. The coating industry is still recovering from the effects of the 2009 recession with volume off more than 10% from the 2006 total.

The coating industry continues to move to more environmentally friendly products.  Water-based technology has gained share in the last twenty years rising from 47% of the dry pounds in 1996 to a 57% share in 2015.  The water-based share of architectural paints has risen from 76% in 1996 to 83% in 2015; OEM’s share has increased from 23% to 30%; and special purpose coatings from 22% to 44%.  In the OEM segment powder technology has grown from 14% of the dry weight in 1996 to 22% in 2015.  Radiation-cured technology remains a small percentage of the OEM volume but it has grown from 3% of the pounds to 5%.  Figure 1 summarizes the historical change in coating technology.
 
Alkyds remain the largest volume solvent-based coating in volume with 27% of the solids in 2015.  They continue to lose share in solvent-based technology but new technology has increased alkyd activity in water-based formulations.  Polyurethanes and epoxies each capture 9-10% of the solvent-based dry pounds with polyurethanes the leader in dollars with a 21% share and epoxies behind at 10%.  Acrylics comprised 7% of the solvent-based weight but their share of dollars is 19%.  In water-based technology acrylic and vinyl-acrylic based products predominate and combined for three-quarters of the dry weight and two-thirds of the value.  Water-based alkyds, epoxies and polyurethanes are a small percentage of the volume but a higher percentage of the value.

The above information is part of Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney’s soon to be released study, The U.S. Paint & Coatings Industry, 2015-2020 which is available through subscription. Further information can be obtained at www.kusumgar-nerlfi-growney.com.