Coatings World Q&A: Sustainability Topic

Coatings World: Let’s begin with a brief overview of Sherwin-Williams coil and extrusion coatings. 

Sherwin-Williams: As the leading manufacturer of coil and extrusion metal coatings in the world, we bring a proud history of innovation to the coatings industry. With an enduring commitment to durability, superior customer service and an ever-expanding palette of color, our metal architectural coatings offer design and high performance to countless industries, projects, and locations around the world. 

Specifying metal coil and extrusion coatings on the building envelope offers many other benefits such as durability, high performance, and unique color and effect options. The biggest difference between coil and extrusion coatings is how and when they are applied. Coil coatings are applied to coiled sheets of metal before they are formed, while extrusion coatings are spray-applied after the aluminum extrusion has been formed. 

There are different coating technologies for different aspects of the building’s facade. Coatings are not a one size fits all proposition. There are multiple coating options for a variety of component conditions. Best practice is to consult with your Sherwin -Williams Coatings Expert to ensure that you are specifying the best option for each product that is on your project. When determining which coating category and specific product is best practice, AAMA guidelines will help to guide the selection based on type of application and performance features.

CW: Please provide some background on Sherwin-Williams’ sustainability initiatives.

Sherwin-Williams: Sherwin-Williams continually seeks to further embed sustainability within our business and value chain. We also take an integrated approach to the stakeholders we serve, seeking to meet the needs of our customers, create and maximize value for our shareholders and advance the well-being of communities. Our Coil and Extrusion Coatings Division is driven by three key sustainability principles: Corporate Commitment, Product Innovation and Customer Partnership.

CW: Can you explain the Coil Division’s three key initiatives? 

Sherwin-Williams: Examining our corporate commitment further, our commitment is guided by the enterprise-wide pillars of Environmental Footprint, Product Blueprint and Social Imprint and we believe a strong foundation helps us hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics, business integrity, and corporate governance. Our approach to sustainability enables broad engagement across the organization, while providing appropriate oversight and accountability throughout the company.

Through the Environmental Footprint pillar, our continuous improvement approach aims to reduce our carbon emissions, energy consumption, and waste generation in addition to expanding our renewable energy use and recycling methods. Sherwin-Williams is working toward our goal of reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent.

Social imprint is key when examining sustainability from an enterprise-wide approach. We are committed to advancing a culture of excellence that values our people and community. Our commitment is reflected in our unwavering efforts to promote the safety, health, and well-being of our people; foster a culture of belonging where individual differences are celebrated; and support those in the communities where we live and work.

Our Product Blueprint pillar is how we drive sustainability through innovation. We lead the industry by offering cutting-edge solutions and implementing sustainability into our product innovation and development processes. Specifying metal coil and extrusion coatings on the building envelope offers many other benefits such as durability, high performance and unique color and effect options. Moreover, metal building products have a long lifespan, lower maintenance requirements and can be recycled. Applications includes curtain wall, façade, roof and wall panels and other metal building accessories.

CW: What specific products/services do you offer to help your customers meet their sustainability goals?

Sherwin-Williams: Solar reflective coatings for metal roofing and wall panel systems have become increasingly popular in the industry. These coatings contain solar reflective and thermal emittance (TE) pigments that reflect infrared radiation while still absorbing visible light, resulting in a coating that can stay cooler. This is coupled with the coating’s exceptional resistance to natural elements such as sun, rain, and UV rays, as well as marring and fading. A leading benefit of solar reflective coatings is their ability to help mitigate the heat island effect and improve roof emissivity. Urban heat islands are caused by roof and pavement surfaces retaining the suns’ heat, causing elevated temperatures, increased energy usage, and local climate disruptions. Solar reflective coatings reflect heat to contribute to lower surface and ambient air temperatures. When used in new construction, solar reflective coatings can earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits for roofing and wall panels. LEED credits, or status, are awarded to buildings that prioritize sustainability and are built with longevity and efficiency at the forefront.

CW: Looking towards the future, what innovative products do you see trending?

Sherwin-Williams: Incorporating bio-renewable ingredients in coatings systems has become more common, especially in the European region. Polyester topcoat systems can use bio-renewable raw materials that originate from replenishable sources such as vegetable oils. These systems are mostly used for interior coil applications like ceiling profiles and wall panels as well as exterior coil applications like metal roofing systems, facades and other sheet steel elements. 

Another industry trend is using post-consumer recycled plastic (rPET). Resin systems can contain up to 55 percent recycled content such as plastic bottles, containers, and packaging. Formulated with a higher percentage of solids, these materials help mitigate the need for fossil fuels—non-replenishable materials that take millions of years to form. 

CW: Are there innovative curing technologies that meet sustainability goals? 

Sherwin-Williams: Radiation cure technologies are rapidly advancing. A developing technology in the coil coatings industry, radiation curing changes the way a coating is cured. Traditionally, the coating is cured with a thermal oven while radiation curing uses light energy instead of heat to solidify the liquid coating. Used primarily in printing applications, this technology utilizes either Ultraviolet (UV) energy or Electron Beam (EB) energy to form a coating. UV radiation curing works by utilizing high-intensity ultraviolet energy to instantaneously cure the coating. A chemical photo-initiator is used to absorb the UV energy and cross-link the polymers. EB curing utilizes accelerated electrons to directly cause the cross-linking of inks and coatings. This allows for a high degree of conversion from oligomer to polymer to take place. When it comes to sustainability attributes, this innovative curing process produces low to no VOCs, is formulated with 100 percent solids, and can have a lower energy expenditure compared to traditional thermal curing. Sherwin-Williams has a proven history in radiation cure technology. Our trademark RadGuard™ is a global product line that incorporates Ultraviolet (UV) and Electron Beam (EB) technologies in coating systems. RadGuard is a urethane resin system that boasts long-lasting performance. It can be used in a broad range of applications including gutters, fascia and more. Radiation cure technologies are rapidly advancing in terms of coating performance and equipment capabilities, and we are at the forefront of this technology. In addition, radiation curing technology has the capacity to be retrofitted to an existing coil coating line. 


CW: The industry is rapidly evolving, how does Sherwin-Williams ensure sustainability is considered during a product’s entire life cycle from development to manufacturing?

Sherwin-Williams: Our product innovation and development processes begin with design — and with the intentional consideration of sustainability. Our Sustainability by Design program is an element of our stage-gate new product development process. This identifies ways to incorporate sustainability attributes into our products while improving product performance. Important tools we use in this process include life cycle assessments (LCAs), which quantifies potential impacts of our products throughout their value chain. Innovation and continuous improvement are foundational to our product development process and the cornerstones of our Sustainability by Design program. Through life cycle thinking and a strong commitment to product stewardship, we continue to provide world-class products.

CW: Finally, how does Sherwin-Williams work with customers on their sustainability goals? 

Sherwin-Williams: When designing with sustainability in mind, it is crucial to use products and suppliers that offer you the resources and solutions to help you meet your goals. At Sherwin-Williams, we take a data driven approach to sustainability. We work directly with architects, specifiers, and all customers to meet sustainability requirements of each project but beyond that meeting the requirements of any national and global initiatives. From LEED accreditation to energy savings initiatives to measurable goals, we’re your partner in sustainability.