Antimicrobial Coatings Under Attack in Canada
IT’S SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST in life and in business, but neither you nor your customers want nasty bacteria or fungi growing and breaking through any paints or coatings.
And some surfaces themselves become antimicrobial, whereby a coating containing a chemical compound which is toxic to a microorganism may be applied to a surface.
Research shows a growing focus on hygiene, stringent environmental regulations and focus on clean water is foreseen to boost the demand for these products in the coming years.
A report released last year entitled, “Global Biocides Market – Segmented by Type, Application, and Geography – Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2018–2023)” from Research and Markets, says the biocides market is expected to register a CAGR of approximately 5.22 per cent from 2018 to 2023. Paint and coatings were cited as the fastest-growing application.
Additional market share is being driven by the increasing number of water treatment plants worldwide, along with the increasing demand from the food and beverage industry. However, the market is restrained by regulations on chlorine-based chemistries.
Though water treatment is the dominant application, accounting for approximately 30 per cent of the market- share, the paints and coatings application is expected to be the fastest-growing. This is in direct response to the growing construction industry globally, which is expected to drive the market.
North America accounted for the largest share of biocides use in 2017, with the United States being the largest market in this region. Like elsewhere in the world, growth in water treatment, paints and coatings, and food and beverage are expected to drive the market during the forecast period.
The demand for paints and coatings has increased in the construction industry, with increasing construction-related expenditure in the non-residential sector.
A report published by Global Market Insights similarly found that growth in water and wastewater treatment applications from industrial and residential sectors is likely to drive biocides market size growth through 2022. The biocides market as a whole is expected to be valued at over $12 billion USD by then, with estimated gains at more than 5.1 per cent.
“North America, driven by the U.S. biocides market share, dominated demand with valuation exceeding $3.2 billion in 2014. The U.S. accounted for over 75 per cent of the revenue share in North America. The US government has allotted significant amount of funds to infrastructural development in recent past which is likely to increase
paints and coatings demand in the region and thereby promoting biocides growth,” the report says.
“Asia Pacific, dominated by China biocides market share, accounted for over 28 per cent of the revenue share and is likely to grow at higher rates up to 2022. Growth of end-use industries such as construction, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverages is likely to drive demand over the forecast period. The Middle East and Africa, mainly driven by Saudi Arabia, occupies a small portion of the total revenue share and is likely to grow at above average growth rates up to 2022. This region is likely to grow owing to increasing paints and coatings demand due to increasing construction spending by regional governments.”
Biocides are also experiencing heightened demand from the energy sector which is complemented by the increase in the use of hydraulic fracturing techniques. Biocides are used as well stimulation fluids in hydraulic fracturing to prevent corrosion and other production issues.
For its part, Chemroy offers 12 biocides from Lonza Group and DuPont, in a variety of formulations from liquids to powders to flakes.
Lonza’s Materials Protection business supplies specialty biocides and antimicrobial actives and additives for paints, coatings, building materials, plastics, emulsions, textiles and metalworking fluids.
Lonza says the changing regulatory and formulation environment has increased the requirement for innovative protection from microorganisms as part of formulations and finished products. It offers a wide range of active chemistries and delivery forms that can be formulated in many different ways to meet customers’ needs.
Lonza’s Building Products portfolio includes specialty biocides for in-can preservation, dry-film protection and plant hygiene.
In plastics and textiles, where microbial degradation of plastics and textiles can lead to unpleasant odors, discolouration, cracking and aesthetic deterioration of finished products, Lonza’s antimicrobial products provide protection in a wide range of polymers, textiles, plastics, and foam components.
Its Omadine and Vanquish Antimicrobials product lines offer long-term protection, easy incorporation to formulations, and UV stability, for plastics.
In metalworking, where soluble oils, synthetic fluids, and semi-synthetic fluids help create smooth processes and consistent end products, they also enable a multitude of bacteria, yeast, and fungi to grow. These microorganisms can cause reduced fluid life, more frequent fluid dumps, higher disposal costs, clogged filters, and decreased production. Lonza’s specialty biocides for metalworking fluid applications features include broad-spectrum activity, formaldehyde-free options and formulation compatibility.
DuPont believes biocides are necessary for protecting the integrity and functionality of water-based formulations from microbial contamination.
“As a global leader in microbial control, our broad portfolio, technical and regulatory expertise, unmatched testing, and laboratory capabilities provide solutions to help prevent contamination of the formulation not only in its wet state but in the dry film after application,” the compa- ny says.
Its offerings are in architectural dry film, architectural in-can, latex, marine, plant hygiene, and specialty coatings such as oil and gas.
Products such as Bioban 200 offer a broad spectrum of protection against surface fungi, molds and algae, helping prevent microbial defacement and preserve strong and vibrant coatings, while also not contributing to VOCs.
In-can preservatives such as Kathon LX 1.5%, offer cost-effective, long-term protection for a full range of architectural paint and coatings formulations, says DuPont, without contributing VOCs or formaldehyde.
These types of products are important as the Global Market Insights report cautions that the market growth of traditional biocides might be limited by the formulation of stringent norms against their use due to some of the perceived harmful effects. However, concerns about the negative impacts of biocides have directed focus toward development of alternative biocides which is still expected to provide overall growth prospects to the global biocides market.
Environmental and regulatory concerns with regards to use of halogenated compounds such as bromine and chlorine may also affect the biocides market price trend, the report states. The EU introduced and implemented the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528/2012) regarding biocides market use.
In Canada, biocides have also come under close scrutiny. The Canadian Paint and Coatings Association (CPCA) has written about it critically in these pages say- ing decisions by the federal government on bans or restrictions of use levels for biocides in paint preservatives in Canada will do little other than harm Canadian paint manufacturers.
Gary LeRoux, President, CPCA, says the association will continue to work to ensure that paint formulation leads to safe products across the entire supply chain.
“CPCA will continue to raise objections to the current flawed process for re-evaluation of biocides for paint to ensure actual engagement with manufacturers and greater reliance on evidence-based analysis,” he says.
As formulators continue to look for more sustainable product solutions to solve their microbial control challenges, manufacturers of biocides, algaecides and preservatives are answering the call.