The April issue is chock full of articles related to delivering more environmentally-friendly paints and coatings to market.

“Low- and Zero-VOC Coatings Technologies”  (page 28) takes a look at the latest offerings from major paint manufacturers.  Coatings manufacturers are increasingly looking at low- and zero-VOC products to drive their business. “In 2013, our revenue from eco-premium solutions – including low- and zero-VOC products – was almost $5 billion, or 24 percent of our total revenue,” said André Veneman,  corporate director for sustainability & HSE at AkzoNobel. “Eco-premium solutions are a fundamental driver of our strategy for creating more value from fewer resources and we continue to measure the proportion of revenue that they generate. Our 2015 target is to achieve 30 percent of revenue from eco-premium solutions.”

“Incorporation of Fluoro-Silicones in Coatings Films and the Resulting Properties” (page 33) was originally presented at this year’s Waterborne Symposium. The technical paper evaluates multiple fluoroalkyl silicones in five coating systems; a two part solventborne heat cured urethane system, a UV cured urethane acrylate system, a UV cured epoxy acrylate, a cationic epoxy UV formula and a commercial paint to examine the effects of these products in broad strokes.  Regulatory and safety concerns over perfluorooctyl’s persistence in the environment have put pressure in recent years on these systems.  In general, chemical manufacturers have responded with shorter chains to obtain the unique properties of fluoroalkyls while eliminating this environmental concern.

The environmental benefits of UV/EB curing have been well documented. Rather than using traditional methods, which typically use more energy and create harmful emissions, UV/EB curing is typically quicker and uses less energy. RadTech 2014 – The Global Conference and Expo for UV and EB Curing Technology will be held May 12-14 in Rosemont, Illinois. “RadTech 2014 Preview” (page 24) takes a look at the courses being held at this biennial event.