Having garnered the attention of several academic and industrial researchers and brands over the past few years, the UV-curable coatings market is anticipated to emerge as a prominent investment avenue for global producers. A potential testament of the same has been provided by Arkema.
Arkema Inc., a pioneer in specialty materials, has established its niche in the UV-curable coatings and materials industry through a recent partnership with Universite de Haute-Alsace and the French National Center for Scientific Research. The alliance seeks to launch a new lab at the Mulhouse Institute of Materials Science, which would help accelerate research into photopolymerization and explore new sustainable UV-curable materials.
Why are UV-curable coatings gaining traction worldwide? Given their ability to facilitate higher productivity and line speeds, UV-curable coatings support space, time, and energy savings, thereby fostering their use across a variety of applications, including automotive and industrial products.
These coatings also offer the advantage of high physical protection and chemical resistance for electronic systems. Additionally, the introduction of new trends in the coatings business, including LED-curing technology, 3D-printing coatings, and more is likely to push the growth of UV-curable coatings in the coming years.
According to credible market estimations, the UV-curable coatings market is speculated to draw a revenue of more than $12 billion in the coming years.
Trends that are Slated to Take the Industry by Storm in 2023 and Beyond
UV-Screens on Automobiles
Ensuring Protection Against Skin Cancers and Harmful UV Radiation
A trillion-dollar business, the automotive sector has over the years enjoyed the benefits of UV-curable coatings, as these are incorporated to impart a variety of properties to surfaces, including wear or scratch resistance, glare reduction, and chemical and microbial resistance. In fact, these coatings can also be applied to the vehicle windshield and windows to cut the amount of UV-radiation that passes through.
According to research by the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute, windshields tend to offer optimum protection by blocking 96% of UV-A rays, on average. However, the protection for side windows remained at 71%. This number could be significantly improved by coating windows with UV-curable materials.
The thriving automotive industry across leading economies including the United States, Germany, and others would prompt product demand in the coming years. As per Select USA statistics, the United States is one of the largest automotive markets in the world. In 2020, the country’s vehicle sales recorded more than 14.5 million units.
Home Renovation
An Attempt to Stay Ahead in the Contemporary World
According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, “Americans spend over $500 billion annually on residential renovations and repairs.” UV-curable coatings are used in varnishing, finishing, and laminating woodwork and furniture. They provide increased hardness and solvent resistance, increased in line-speed, reduced floor space, and superior quality of the final product..
The increasing trend of home renovation and remodeling would as well offer new avenues for furniture and woodworking. According to the Home Improvement Research Institute, the home improvement industry accounts for $220 billion per annum, with the count only rising in the coming years.
Is UV-curable coating on wood eco-friendly? Amongst the many benefits of coating the wood with UV radiation, environmental sustainability stands to be a crucial parameter. Unlike typical wood finishing processes that utilize heavy amounts of toxic solvents and VOCs, 100% UV-curable coating uses little to no VOCs in the process. Additionally, the amount of energy used in the coating process is relatively lower than in conventional wood finishing processes.
Companies are leaving no stone unturned to gain a niche in the UV-coating industry with the launch of new products. To illustrate, in 2023, Heubach introduced Hostatint SA, UV-cured wood coatings for luxurious wood finishes. The product range is exclusively designed for industrial coatings, which enables compliance with the requirements of major consumer goods and furniture producers.
Marble Used in New-Age Building Construction
Supporting the Need to Enhance the Visual Appeal of Homes
UV coating is generally used in the production line in the finishing of granite, marble, and other natural stones to seal them. Proper sealing of stones helps protect them against spills and dirt, the impact of UV-radiation, and adverse weather effects. Studies cite that UV light can indirectly activate biodegradation processes that might lead to the scaling and cracking of rocks. Some of the prominent features enabled by UV curing for marble sheets include:
- Eco-friendly and no VOCs
- Increased durability and anti-scratch properties
- Smooth, clean mirror effect imparted to stones
- Ease of cleaning
- High appeal
- Superior resistance to acid and other corrosion
Future of UV-Curable Coatings
China Could Be the Regional Hotspot through 2032
UV-curable coatings have entered a robust development phase in recent years across various countries, including China. One of the main contributions to the growth of UV coatings in the country is the growing pressure from society for improving its environmental situation. Since UV coatings release no VOCs into the environment, they have been listed as an environment-friendly coating variety whose development would be prompted by the Chinese coatings industry in the coming years. Such developments are likely to be the future trends of the UV-curable coatings industry.
