Mike Sheehan, regional commercial manager, North America, Dow Microbial Control recently spoke to Coatings World about the biocides market as it adapts to the growing trend towards low and zero VOC coatings formulations.

"When discussing the low and zero VOC coatings, the first and most obvious trend that comes to mind is the need for low and zero VOC biocides. Solutions for this may be straightforward for some actives, but very challenging for certain multi-active formulations. To address this need, Dow Microbial control has developed several water-based formulations. Additionally, we have created the unique LE Technology, which addresses viscosity issues of water-based dispersions with virtually no addition to
VOC.

"The second issue is that low and zero VOC coatings are more susceptible to in-can microbial contamination. The selection of a suitable biocide package is not straightforward and needs extensive testing. There is no “one size fits all” solution for in-can preservation. Dow Microbial Control has nine Customer Application Centers worldwide, fully equipped to test and optimize the selection of biocides for our customers, and a very wide product portfolio to match any preservation need. Dow Microbial Control has observed a new trend where both bacterial and yeast are observed in wet paint. Our new active, MBIT, was developed to address this challenge and provide more robust in-can preservation for customers.

"Finally, it is crucial to have a good plant hygiene program in the manufacturing of low and zero VOC coatings. Our Customer Applications Centers are staffed with technical experts who help our customers improve their plant hygiene to enhance microbial control or trouble shoot contamination."