Q:  Tell us about Engineered Polymer Solutions.
A: At Engineered Polymer Solutions (EPS), we produce performance-based polymers and resins designed for our customers in the architectural, industrial, and construction coatings industries. EPS offers resins for roof coatings, as well as concrete coatings, admixtures and cure and seal solutions within the construction coatings segment.

Q:  What trends are driving tech innovations in the construction coatings market?
A: The big, overarching trend is sustainability. Coatings manufacturers are committed to protecting the environment and the health of their employees and customers. As a result, the market has moved from solvent-based to water-based products that meet or exceed regulatory requirements and have lower VOCs, helping to improve indoor air quality.

The growing population in developing countries where urbanization is increasing is another trend driving the global demand for construction coatings.

Q: What advances are being made in coatings for the construction market?
A: What has been exciting is that while a trend like sustainability is incredibly broad and may mean different things to different people, our industry has had great success solving specific problems that lead to incremental gains. Take the issue of bleed-through in cool roofs, which in extreme cases can lead to a large reduction in the reflectivity and energy efficiency of the roof coating. A significant breakthrough has resulted in minimizing bleed-through.

Customers were also having difficulty coating thermoplastic olefin (TPO) and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber membranes in roofs without the use of solvent-based products, but an advancement in the development of an acrylic resin improved adhesion to those materials with water-based coatings. This is important as the use of TPO and EPDM in roofs increases in repair and new construction projects.

The development of coatings with exceptional dirt pick-up resistance (DPUR) is another crucial advancement for cool roof coatings. This allows the coating to stay whiter for a longer time, absorbing less heat and contributing to less energy usage over time.
Coatings manufacturers see the benefits of consolidating their raw materials purchases, so there is a growing demand for resins and polymers that offer product versatility for different applications. Since the construction coatings market is very dynamic, suppliers need to be nimble and provide innovative technology that meet these customer needs quickly.



Q: What unique capabilities does EPS offer in the construction space?
A: We manufacture our products in multiple locations across the United States, Europe, and Asia. With locations across the globe, we are closer to our customers and can deliver our products faster. Being a global manufacturer also allows us to offer products that comply with international regulations.

Our team of R&D experts works closely with our customers in improving and developing next-generation products that meet market needs and ensure the success of their coatings.

At EPS, we offer a variety of high-performance products for construction coatings. We are incredibly proud of EPS® 2252, a high solids acrylic resin designed to adhere to low-energy substrates commonly used in roofing. It can be used to formulate basecoats and primers at less than 50 grams per liter VOC.

Another great product in the construction segment is EPS® 2719, which was designed to minimize asphalt bleed-through in cool roof coatings while maintaining flexibility and toughness. EPS 2719 also excels when it comes to dirt pick-up resistance, making it an ideal resin for formulators looking to offer an exceptional topcoat.

For concrete applications, we also offer EPS® 2993 for use in clear sealers over tiles and cementitious substrates. This resin also provides exceptional performance in pigmented floor coatings and exterior stain formulations for deck and wood applications.



Q:  EPS also offers resins for adhesives. Can you tell us more about these products?
A: We have a product that offers excellent performance for use in tile mastics, EPS® 2559. This resin is a perfect example of the versatility mentioned previously because it can be used in the architectural, construction, and industrial metal coatings markets.
Another versatile product is EPS® 2224, an excellent choice for both clear and pigmented caulk and sealant formulations that can also be used for sloped roof formulations.

I can only mention a handful of the products we offer to manufacturers of construction coatings here, so I invite readers to visit our website at www.epscca.com to learn about our other products for this segment, as well as the industrial and architectural coatings industries.