Recovery Begins for Powder Coatings Market

This month’s issue focuses on the diverse powder coatings market. Powder coatings are used in a wide variety of applications, including heavy duty machinery, industrial construction and metal parts. As is true for all aspects of the paint and coatings industry, the demand for  powder coatings was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this month’s issue, correspondent Yogi Malik examines the state of the powder coatings market in India. He noted that despite the current low per capita consumption of paint and coating products, India is emerging as one of the most important markets for these products due to the large size of its population and rising disposable incomes of a vast section of society.

Powder coatings currently account for approximately 11% of the industrial coating sub-segment of the Indian paint industry. The Indian powder coating market was estimated at $219 million at the end of 2019.

Contributing editor Dave Savastano delves into the global powder coatings market in this month’s feature article.

Shelley Verdun, business manager, PPG Powder Coating, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted many aspects of the powder industry, particularly with manpower across the supply chain, from producers, to raw material suppliers, to logistics and end-use customers.

“Customer shutdowns, record declines in consumer spending, and lack of capital expenditures are trends that negatively impacted on our markets,” Verdun pointed out. “Within the broad scope of industrial segments, markets related to construction, automotive, office furniture and transportation have been notably impacted. Most powder manufacturers were fortunate to be deemed essential businesses.” 

There are many key products for powder coatings. PPG’s Verdun pointed to appliance, general industrial and aluminum extrusion markets as all showing steady growth.

“While powder has traditionally been used in these areas, confidence in powder coatings is growing,” Verdun added. “New market growth areas for powder now include wood, wood composites, and dense and oversized metals. Thanks to recent advancements in low-bake technology, powder coatings can be used to achieve a tough, durable coating that delivers clear advantages over competing finishing technologies in sustainability, aesthetics and functionality. Additionally, the growing demand for metallic effects has resulted in an increasing demand for bonded powder coatings.”