Biocides, algaecides and fungicides play a vital role in the formulation of paint and coatings. Biocides markets Coatings World spoke with report improvements in demand in North America, the BRIC nations and Asia. Global regulations continue to be the main driver for growth across the globe.

Troy has seen an overall increase in global demand for bio- cides over the past year. “However, there have been disparities in regional activity,” said W. Brian Smith, vice president, Troy Corporation. “North America is improving, while European demand remains relatively flat year-over-year. The Asia/Pacific region continues to grow although slower than in years past. The BRIC nations have also seen an increase in demand for biocides, driven not only by a boom in construction, but also by the increasing demand for higher quality paints and coatings with greater and more sophisticated wet-state and dry-film protection.”
“Troy is in a strong position to supply these regional markets with the right technologies that offer high levels of performance, environmental responsibility and cost efficiencies, backed by regional distribution, regulatory assistance and accessible technical service and support,” Smith continued.

This year, Troy unveiled a state-of-the-art 1,500 square meter logistics center in Thailand to service customers in Asia. Troy also doubled the size of its Thailand manufacturing site, significantly increasing the versatility and capacity of production. “In 2013, Troy will open a new Technical Service and R&D Center located near Bangkok International Airport,” said Smith. “The new facility represents a major expansion of laboratory facilities for new product development, technical service and field- testing. Troy has been a dedicated supplier to the Asia/Pacific coatings industry since 1970, and has manufactured products in Asia since 1997.”

In addition to Polyphase dry-film fungicides, which are suited for Asia’s tropical climates, Troy also offers “green” wet- state preservatives and performance additives for the region. “Troy enables its customers to comply with stringent environ- mental standards, while also achieving superior performance,” Smith said. “With full manufacturing, product development and service capabilities in Asia, Troy is well-positioned to help its customers to lead in their respective markets.”

Wilson Nova Ruiz, head of sales, materials protection prod- ucts, Lanxess Corp., has seen an increased demand for biocides, especially for water treatment and disinfection. “Fracking activities for the oil and gas shale area lead to increased biocide demand, mainly in the U.S. and to some extent in Latin America and Asia Pacific,” he added. “In the disinfection field, some countries have begun or are increasing their measures to prevent disease. There is a growth pattern for in-can preservation biocides as many solvent formulations are being shifted to water-based materials. Biocides are not needed for in-can preservation, however, in water-based formulations, the biocide becomes essential.”

Meeting customer needs
Meeting the increasingly changing formulation and perfor- mance needs of their customers is a key challenge for bio- cides manufacturers. Environmental regulations and the continued move to water- based products present many opportunities. “It is always very interesting for customers to have VOC free products and lower toxic materials,” said Ruiz. “It is very important to follow new regulations on labeling and registration. From the performance point of view, some products, after being used for a long period of time, can present issues due to increased resistance or mi- croorganisms against biocides. More specifically, in the case of polymer emulsions, customers are looking for options to close the gaps of some isothiazolines against acid forming bacteria or sulphate reducing bacteria.”
“As always, our customers are looking for what their cus- tomers are looking for: class-leading protection in the wet-state and on the film surface; “green” attributes, such as minimized environmental persistence, lowest toxicity and safe handling attributes; and of course, cost efficiency,” said Smith.

“World class regulatory support is a service that provides value to Troy customers,” Smith continued. “Different regions and countries around the world often have complex procedures and protocols that necessitate the assistance of suppliers like Troy who have experience helping customers achieve compliance. Troy has a long history of regional and local regulatory expertise, and has been serving customers in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East/Africa for several decades.”

New products
Environmental regulations continue to drive substantial changes in the bioicdes market. Biocides makers have met this challenge by offering a number of new products that meet this needs.

This past year Troy launched two new “green,” high perfor- mance dry-film preservatives for Asia customers. “Polyphase
689 offers long-lasting, broad-spectrum dry-film protection against both fungi and algae,” said Smith. “689 has been tested extensively in Southeast Asia in tropical and sub-tropical environments and has proven to be highly effective against severe fungal and algal threats. Polyphase 7026 is a new, green dry-film preservative for interior aqueous coatings, offering full-spec- trum anti-fungal efficacy against problematic microorganisms, including Alternia alternate. Polyphase 689 and 7026 are zero VOC products with very low hazard profiles. Both products also offer class-leading efficacy at very low use levels, resulting in excellent cost efficiency.”

In North America, Troy introduced Mergal K9N and MC14, two advanced broad-spectrum wet-state preservatives based on CMIT/MIT (methylchloroisothiazolinone / methylisothiazoli- none) technology. Mergal K9N and MC14 offer cost-effective materials protection at very low use rates, enabling manufac- turers to balance cost control with performance objectives. Additionally, the two products represent green preservative technology, as they are zero-VOC, formaldehyde-free chemis- tries engineered to leave a minimal carbon footprint.

With the acquisition of Verichem Inc. in 2011, Lanxess bol- stered its products portfolio for in-can preservation and water treatment for the U.S. market.

“In addition, Lanxess acquired the Material Protection busi- ness from Syngenta in 2011,” said Ruiz. “Lanxess offers state-of- the-art product formulations with reduced tox profiles products for the building industry, for the preservation of paints, dry film protection, joint compounds, sealants, paper and adhesives and gypsum board.”
Lanxess has also completed the expansion of the production capacity in its Pittsburgh based manufacturing site. In 2012, Lanxess registered six new product formulations for the mate- rial protection market in the U.S.
Lonza Microbial Control’s zinc Omadine ZOE Antimicrobial product and related zinc pyrithione compounds are being increasingly used to protect the surfaces of paints, coatings and other dry films from fungal and algal growth.

According to Lonza, this surge in their use has occurred in part as paint containing rival carbendazim and diuron products now need to carry enhanced environmental warnings on their labels at normal use levels because of toxicological concerns ex- pressed by regulatory bodies in certain markets.

As an alternative, zinc pyrithione, shows a lower toxicolog- ical profile when used as a dry film preservative, according to the company. It also provides good activity against both fungi and algae, offers long-term protection due to its low water sol- ubility, and does not trigger environmental symbol labeling at normal use levels. Zinc Omadine ZOE Antimicrobial has the added benefit of not discoloring in the presence of other metal ions in paint and coatings formulations. This new product consists of a mixture containing both zinc pyrithione as the active agent, along with zinc oxide, which provide broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity that preserve paints and coatings, ex- tends their useful life, and deters the growth of fungi and algae on painted surfaces. ideally