Powder coatings offer many advantages over their liquid counterparts. Driving the demand for powder coatings technologies is the increased demand for durable, environmentally-friendly and cost efficient finishes across various industries. Research firm Global Market Insights predicts that the powder coatings market is poised for growth with projections indicating that it will surpass $26.3 billion by 2032.

Powder coatings manufacturers are reporting that while growth in the market was less than stellar in 2023, all indications point toward growth moving forward.

“The market for powder coatings performed well last year, driven by high consumer demand across all market segments,” said Jerimy Erickson, global director of product management, Sherwin-Williams General Industrial Coatings Division. “Powder coatings revenue grew between 4-6% globally and around 3-4% in the Americas, showing promising momentum for the future.”

“Having been impacted by industry-wide challenges during 2022, the first half of 2023 saw a continuation of challenging conditions,” said Jeff Jirak, managing director of AkzoNobel’s Powder Coatings business. “Architectural end markets showed signs of a recovery in the second half of the year. Performance in our automotive end markets and electric vehicle-related applications were solid. Driven by its strong sustainability characteristics, liquid-to-powder conversion continued to gather pace across many end markets, with our technology leadership in lower temperature curing positioning us well for future growth.”

“Globally the market grew less than expected,” said Shelley Verdun, PPG business manager, Powder. “Among the regions, both North America and Europe had declining volumes in 2023 while the Asia Pacific region showed slow to moderate growth. China’s fast start in 2023 after COVID restrictions were lifted was moderated by a struggling economy, particularly in building and construction.”

Powder vs. Liquid

Each technology offers its own pros and cons, but powder coatings offer some advantages over others.

“When it comes to costs, powder coating operations are typically less expensive to get started with,” said Erickson. “They are applicator-friendly and require less regulatory knowledge than other technologies. Most applications can achieve requirements in a single coat versus multiple coats required by most liquids, which reduces labor needs and can make total finishing costs cheaper. Application and storage are also much safer, which makes PPE requirements easier and disposal less expensive. There are also no pot-life concerns with powder. Since it’s a dry solid, the shelf life stays the same even after the product is opened, allowing for reduced waste.”

Erickson noted that powder coatings also offer better substrate adhesion, leading to advanced edge coverage and corrosion resistance. “They are very tough when it comes to scratch resistance, gauge and flex. When compared to liquids, powder coatings typically have a higher viscosity, making it easier to achieve final appearance requirements without sags or drips. Being 100% solid, there is no evaporation of a carrier solution, which means the dry film thickness is the same as the final film thickness. This also means that powder coatings typically have very low to no VOCs, giving them sustainability advantages over most solvent-based liquid coatings. They are also more reclaimable than liquid coatings, with a 95-98% usage ability.”

“Process-wise, powder has a number of advantages over liquid coatings, including quick and easy application, being ideal for complex shapes, the ability to achieve the same – or better – performance in one coat and a lower total cost of ownership,” said Jirak. “In addition, there are several sustainability advantages, such as reduced product consumption, no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no overspray (up to 100% can be reclaimed), as well as making an important contribution to LEED and BREEAM building certifications. In terms of longevity and color, powder coatings offer numerous aesthetic options, superior consistency and coverage over liquid, as well as strong corrosion protection and better durability.”

According to PPG’s Verdun, powder coatings offer advantages over liquid coatings at every point in the lifecycle. “Powder coatings have enhanced durability, exceptional chip and abrasion resistance, are low in VOC and cost efficient due to high transfer efficiency and the ability to be reclaimed at application. From an applicator perspective, powder coatings offer low cost-of-entry to the market, low PPE requirements, do not use solvent for clean-up and have minimal impact to the environment. In addition, there are no special storage or transportation requirements and in powder coating processes, no hazardous waste is generated. At PPG, powder is very important to us, but we are a total solutions provider and utilize our layering systems to enhance performance.”

While traditionally used in industrial and automotive applications, powder is making inroads into architectural, wood and building materials.

“There’s strong momentum in all markets for powder coatings, given the specific benefits they offer,” said Jirak. “So it’s difficult to single out any ‘best’ opportunities for growth. What we’re seeing is growing demand for powder coatings in the built environment. This gives us an opportunity to support our customers as much as possible and provide them with high quality powder coatings products, as well as first class service.

“In the automotive sector, we’re expanding the application areas – such as body parts and EV battery systems, for example – where we see a whole new market opening up. Given the environmental footprint it can offer, there are many advantages to be gained from switching to powder and we see that it’s happening quite rapidly.”

Architectural coatings are also seeing an increased use in powder technologies. “As coatings technology evolves and performance attributes advance, the architectural market is increasingly shifting from liquid to powder coatings,” Erickson noted. “Unlike most liquid coatings which require high-temperature ovens to cure, powder coatings can be used on heat-sensitive substrates (like vinyl windows) and offer the same benefits as metal liquid coatings.

“The automotive industry is another big one for powder coatings. As electric vehicles (EVs) take more market share from traditional gas-fueled transportation, the sheer volume of powder needs will increase significantly. Dielectric properties of epoxy powder coatings also offer cost savings opportunities for EV battery manufacturers when compared to liquid coatings. Plus, powder coatings are more adept than liquid at handling the heat of the battery during charging.”

“Premium markets for powder growth include architectural aluminum extrusion and automotive (OEM, Trim, Wheels and EV),” Verdun said. “New market development growth areas for powder include wood, wood composites and building materials. Thanks to recent advancements in low-cure 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.”

While powder is used across all regions, Asia is by far the largest market. According to Erickson, there are three main regions that use most of the world’s powder coatings. “Asia Pacific leads with 57% of the total. The EMEA region is the second highest with 23% and the Americas follow closely behind with 20%.”

According to Verdun, Asia is the largest and fastest growing coatings market for powder with an estimated growth rate in mid-single digits. “Mexico is showing growth due to onshoring activities by many OEMs, while steady growth in the building and construction market in India led to estimated 7% volume growth there in 2023. Sustainability is a driving consideration factor across all regions due to changing global regulations and the desire to reduce environmental impact, which is why liquid coatings are being displaced by powder coatings in all regions. Overall, the key drivers of growth include GDP, residential and architectural construction, industrial and automotive production. Regions with a large manufacturing footprint for these markets will see the most powder coating.”

“China is by far the biggest consumer of powder coatings, although it doesn’t mean there’s a stronger preference over liquid coatings,” said Jirak. “It simply illustrates that China has a strong manufacturing position. In fact, powder coatings have been adopted across the world as a strong coating alternative and demand continues to grow, based on the specific advantages they offer compared with liquid coatings. We expect this growth to further accelerate in the years ahead, based on the possibility to use powder coatings on heat sensitive substrates, which will open up new market opportunities, such as powder on wood, for example.”

New Products

AkzoNobel: AkzoNobel’s Powder Coatings business recently introduced a one-application technology that provides improved electrical protection for electric vehicle (EV) battery systems in China. This new technology allows customers to reach the required film thickness for a high dielectric strength with a single spray.

Interpon D2525 Low Solar Absorption was also launched, which enables architects to imagine and deliver projects that create better and more sustainable environments by tackling the unwanted build-up of heat from the sun’s rays.

“It contains a special pigment that helps reflect a large part of the near infrared radiation (NIR) – which makes up more than 50% of the total irradiated solar energy – from any aluminum substrate that it coats. Measured against total solar reflectance (TSR, the measurement for the reflective performance of a coated surface), Interpon D2525 Low Solar Absorption achieves an exceptional value of up to 65%,” said Jirak.

“From the service point of view, we’ve been constantly working on tools to support our customers in their sustainability journey, for example to improve their powder consumption,” Jirak, added. “Last year, we announced a strategic partnership with coatingAI to use AI-based technology called Flightpath Pro. It optimizes equipment settings to reduce defects and overspray and improve powder consumption – helping to reduce costs, avoid rework and save time and energy.”

To help AkzoNobel’s customers reduce energy consumption the company developed a consulting process and supporting calculator that can help customers get maximum return on energy savings and carbon footprint reductions, based on different feasible customer curing scenarios.

“Following our commitment to help customers reduce their energy consumption, we introduced Interpon D Low-E, a low-energy, high-performing powder coating for architects and specifiers,” said Jirak. “It consists of standard durable Interpon D1036 Low-E and superdurable Interpon D2525 Low-E. With these products, we achieved an industry first in terms of being able to cure at temperatures as low as 150°C, while still being Qualicoat Class 1 or 2 certified.”

For industrial use, Interpon 700 Low-E is designed to deliver improved color, UV-light and heat stability in a hybrid epoxy/polyester powder coating for interior use. “It reduces curing temperatures, and in doing so cuts energy consumption by up to 20%.” Jirak noted. “Alternatively, it can improve coating line productivity, curing up to 25% faster compared with a “standard” powder coating. Interpon 610 Low-E is a powder coating for exterior use, which enables curing temperatures to be reduced by 30°C, and in doing so cuts energy consumption by as much as 20%. Alternatively, it can improve line productivity, curing up to 25% faster when compared with a “standard” powder coating.”

PPG: PPG recently launched PPG PRIMERON, a new powder brand for primers, and PPG PRIMERON Optimal, a new, optimized zinc-rich epoxy primer. This patent-pending product is formulated with an optimized amount of zinc, providing better transfer efficiency than standard zinc-rich primers and corrosion protection that meets rigorous ISO C5 corrosivity specifications for use in high humidity and aggressive environments.

In lab testing, the primer surpassed 10,000 hours of salt spray performance on blasted steel. PPG Primeron Optimal primer is easier to apply, with higher transfer efficiency than traditional zinc-rich primer.

PPG ENVIROCRON Extreme Protection Thermally Conductive Dielectric Powder Coating is engineered to provide thermal conductivity in a dielectric material to enhance safety and performance.

“Used instead of film and/or tape solutions, this product supports high throughput and automated application,” said Verdun. “This coating enables electric vehicle manufacturers to operate at the high level of automation and high-yields necessary to support the rapid growth in electric vehicle adoption. The powder coating offers excellent electrical insulation performance and durability for long-term battery safety and thermal conductivity to enhance cooling efficiency.”

“PPG CORAFLON Platinum represents a breakthrough in powder coating technology for the aluminum extrusion industry,” Verdun added. “Coatings offer FGIA/AAMA 2605-compliance, backed by more than 10 years of Florida exposure test data and a higher transfer efficiency rate that’s >20% better than standard FEVE powders. The innovative formulation improvements deliver better corrosion protection in a single coat, a broader gloss range and specialty effects previously unavailable using FEVE technology — including the ever popular and timeless anodized finish. The fully reclaimable powder offers delivers fast film build with very little waste even in difficult-to-reach recesses. PPG Coraflon Platinum coating is also specifically formulated without major substances of concern, including VOCs, HAPs, BPA, TGIC and PFOA.”

Sherwin-Williams: Powdura ECO is the company’s newest powder coating line. It builds on the sustainability advantages of powder by using resins made with recycled plastic to reduce carbon emissions and put circular economy principles into action. It is available in standard, hybrid and super durable formulas. It can also align with third-party certifications like LEED, GREENGUARD and BIFMA Level.

The company is also working to complete its new High Edge powder portfolio, designed to deliver advanced edge coverage and corrosion resistance for the heavy equipment and transportation markets.

“Unlike most powder coatings which shrink during curing and pull away from sharp corners and edges, this technology adjusts particle flow to focus powder specifically on those places, providing no room for corrosion to seep in,” said Erickson. “The portfolio also includes our patented Dust-on-Dust technology, which cures the powder primer and High Edge topcoat together in one step, creating better adhesion and offering the trifecta of efficient processes, extreme corrosion resistance and top-tier aesthetics. The newest addition to the portfolio is our High Edge DTM powder, which enhances efficiency through direct application on metal substrates.”