CW: What types of products does your company offer for the UV coatings market and what are their applications? 

Firmin: Within PPG’s industrial coatings business, we offer a wide range of radiation-cured coatings (water-based (WB), solvent-based (SB), 100% ultra-violet (UB) and electron beam (EB) coatings). We service end markets from home finishing products, such a resilient floor, parquet floor, wall paneling and furniture, to electronic materials such as keyboards, headsets and phones. We also serve industrial packaging and automotive applications such as dielectric coating in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. 

Lewis: We currently offer the ONECHOICE® UV primer system for automotive collision repair in the North American market. The OneChoice UV system - consisting of a primer surfacer and primer cleaner - allows collision repair shops to complete quick and professional small surface repairs with the ease and efficiency of UV processing.

The SUA1080 Primer Surfacer comes in an easy-to-use aerosol can, and the formula enables the technician to sand the primer surfacer in just two minutes after application.  The SXA1081 UV Primer Cleaner also comes in an aerosol and removes the residue left after curing. In addition, PPG offers a complete set of accessories to facilitate application and ensure the safe use of our UV primer system.

• Dedoes Handheld UV Led Light—DEXUVL;
• UV Protective Glasses—SAS5346;
• UV Protective Gloves Large—SAS66518;
• UV Protective Gloves Extra Large—SAS66519;
• Timer with Magnet—DEX500

CW: How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the market for UV coatings?

Firmin: Fortunately, the pandemic did not cause a major impact on the UV coatings market. There was a slight decrease in volume at the beginning of 2020; however, the decrease quickly recovered. In fact, as people spent more time at home, they focused more energy on DIY projects and as a result, the demand for floors, furniture and various decorative panels helped the market recover and actually
increased demand.

Lewis: The pandemic affected the automotive refinish industry overall due to a drastic decrease in traffic on the road, which resulted in a reduction of accidents, damaged vehicles and the need for repairs.

CW: What are the challenges when developing products/technologies for UV/EB coating applications? 

Firmin: We are mainly dealing with 100% solid content UV-curable coatings. This has an impact on the viscosity adjustments, which are harder to modify compared to conventional drying paints as solvent cannot be added.

Another challenge is to convince manufacturers to switch to UV because there is a lack of understanding of this technology. However, at PPG, we work hard to highlight the benefits and value of this technology and how it can be a unique solution for our customers in order to elevate the market as a whole. The investment may look extensive at first, but it quickly becomes profitable due to the many advantages including productivity and ease of use. UV and EB technology products cure almost instantaneously. Just after curing, coated substrates can immediately be handled, packaged and stored. Short cure times and line drastically increase speed and the customer’s productivity compared to conventional paint.  

Lewis: The health and safety of paint and refinish technicians is our primary concern, and we develop products and equipment with this goal in mind.

CW: What are the biggest growth areas for UV coatings (electronics, automotive, etc.)?

Firmin: UV coatings are ideal for heat-sensitive substrates like plastic and thin films, as we do not cure the coatings at a high temperature. From an environmental standpoint, UV coatings provide many advantages, including a reduction in cost and energy savings. The coatings are specifically formulated without solvents and the final volatile organic compound (VOC) content of the formulation is very low.

Lewis: There is some growing demand for UV technology in the automotive refinish market, as it helps body shops increase productivity to get repairs completed faster. 

CW: What are the benefits of using UV coatings over more traditional coating methods?

Firmin: With its very high curing speed (almost instantaneous polymerization when exposed to UV light), the use of UV coatings helps to increase productivity. As soon as they are cured, panels can be directly handled, stored or even packed.

The VOC content is low as we are mainly using 100% solid content coatings. Therefore, these coatings can be a solution for new environmental sustainability specifications. UV and EB coatings provide high performance with scratch resistance and hardness due to the high conversion rates and the high density networks.

UV coatings can be applied to heat-sensitive substrates as we do not cure the paint with high temperatures. This allows the coatings to be used for foils, LED lamps and more.

The process can be used to help adjust the gloss level. With one can of paint, several glosses can be obtained. There is no need to order different references and to store them unlike other coatings.

Lewis: UV coatings offer increased productivity in helping collision repair centers cycle through vehicle repairs faster, along with energy savings realized by curing the finish using a UV light vs. traditional drying in a heated paint booth.

CW: Are there any new/emerging applications where UV coatings are making inroads?      

Firmin: We see an emerging need for UV coatings around the EV market. UV technology can bring solutions for batteries that existing coatings cannot. For example, this solution can be applied to already filled cells, as this curing process doesn’t generate a substantial amount of heat and won’t impact the electrolyte solution.