Building a Sustainable Coatings Infrastructure

Recent advancements in coatings technologies are driving the industry toward more sustainable performance Globally, there has been an increase in the number of chemicals identified as “chemicals of concern,” as well as restrictions on the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), resulting in new federal initiatives and driving the development of new manufacturing processes. One of the more significant global initiatives for chemical restriction is China’s 13 th Five-Year Plan (2016–2020), which has identified environmental protection as a key objective [ 1]. China’s Five-Year Plan is driving more government regulations involving sustainability and corporate social responsibility, especially in manufacturing processes [ 1]. These regulations have a major impact, specifically for paints and coatings, since solvent-borne technologies will be restricted in China by the end of 2020 [ 1]. Thus, technological advancements in industrial coatings are essential in this environmentally conscious world to support coatings end-users as they make transitions in technology (Figure 1). The complexity of changing the industrial culture mandates that manufacturers consider how best to implement sustainable coatings systems. As manufacturers…