Waterborne coatings are advanced solutions of the coating products with lesser environmental impact. 

These products use water as the solvent medium and have lower harmful emissions as compared to the solvent-borne ones. The global waterborne coatings are primarily driven by the growth of end-use applications such as construction, general industries, and automotive.

Rising construction activities coupled with the maintenance of the existing structures have tremendously driven the demand for these products. 

Protection of the surface and decoration are two main functions of these products that are of considerable economic importance. As waterborne these products are the result of technological development in the paints & coatings industry and are an environmentally-friendly option, it is rapidly becoming the preferred option by many consumers around the globe.

The industry has also witnessed significant advancements in terms of the resin materials for the coatings formulation. Polyurethane based waterborne coatings are the result of such developments and are used widely on account of lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. 

Moreover, real-time polymer monitoring systems have optimized the production of many such polymers, which are widely used in the manufacturing of the coatings.

Further trends in the materials for these products include UV-cure coating formulations and “intelligent binders” in protective waterborne coatings. These are new, viable, and attractive options for applications in polymer coaters, OEMs, contract coaters, extruders, thermoformers, and formed polymers.

The growth of the industry is also a result of the favorable regulatory framework however, the scenario became increasingly complex and expensive for the coating suppliers when the trend started. Numerous regulatory agencies such as REACH and ECHA have prescribed standards for the reduction of harmful emissions in the environment from solvent-borne coatings. This trend resulted in the growth of eco-friendly coating segments such as waterborne and powder.

The market has a wide scope in almost all regions of the world with Asia Pacific as the fastest growing regional player. China, India, Japan, and South Korea are significant contributors to this regional growth. North America and Europe are the mature waterborne coating markets with an average growth rate slower than Asia Pacific in the near future.