The Powder Coatings Market Enjoys Growth

The use of powder coatings continues to expand, largely due to its benefits. Key markets include automotive, consumer goods such as appliances, industrial applications and infrastructure.

It is a growing market. Grand View Research places the global powder coatings market size at approximately $10.4 billion in 2023, and believes that with will grow at a rate of 5.8% to $15.34 billion by 2030.

Jeff Jirak, director of AkzoNobel Powder Coatings, reports that the powder coatings market has seen modest growth in recent years, and AkzoNobel expects this trend to continue in the near term. 

“Global growth is projected at approximately 2% to 3%, with differences across regions and industry segments,” Jirak adds. “While some sectors are currently facing growth challenges, we remain confident in the long-term prospects for powder coatings, driven by their proven durability, sustainability benefits and expanding range of applications.”

Marizeth Carvalho, global powder platform lead and GM for Latin America South at PPG, noted that PPG has seen a strong demand for powder coatings across key industrial sectors throughout the year.

“We have continued to see growth opportunities for powder, with some variability in segments globally, such as construction, automotive and appliances,” Carvalho adds. “Interest in powder coatings continues to increase due to the environmental advantages they offer and technical advancements that enhance performance and durability to extend the product lifecycle.”

Mark Vogel, SVP business development, Diamond Vogel, notes that the powder coatings market remains stable.

“It’s slightly off from pre-COVID highs, but it has settled down,” Vogel says. “Powder coatings are very much into most segments today, including recreational products, store goods and fixtures, turf and lawn, and building materials. The key is being able to bake and cure the coatings. The substrate has to have some heat resistance to it.” 

Advantages of Powder Coatings

What are the advantages of powder coatings? Vogel points to the predictability and cure of powder coatings as key benefits.

“When the powder coating process is completed, the product is predictable and ready to ship,” Vogel says. “You can plan and rely on your process, which is key to the end-user.”

“Powder coatings have low to no VOC emissions, which is a key environmental benefit, but that is balanced by the reality that using powder coatings requires more energy,” Vogel adds. “Pre-treating and curing require energy.”

Jirak agrees that powder coatings offer a range of practical and sustainable advantages. 

“They are free of VOCs, contribute to lower emissions and help support environmental goals,” Jirak adds. “Known for their durability, they maintain color and finish over time, with excellent resistance to fading, chipping and corrosion – even in demanding conditions.”

Jirak also notes that powder coatings can provide better edge coverage and a more consistent finish, often in a single coat. 

“The application process is efficient, helping to reduce energy use and speed up production, while also requiring less training,” Jirak says. “With minimal waste – thanks to reclaimable overspray – and innovations such as low-cure and thin-film technologies, powder coatings continue to support more efficient and sustainable manufacturing.”

Calvalho points out that powder coatings offer distinct advantages for products in a variety of segments. 

“These coatings provide exceptional durability, chip and abrasion resistance and are specifically formulated without solvents that emit volatile organic compounds (VOC),” Carvalho says. “They also offer cost efficiency due to high transfer efficiency and reclaimability. For applicators, powder coatings feature a low cost of entry, and a reduced environmental footprint impact compared to other finishing technologies. In most cases, powder coating processes do not require special storage or transportation conditions and generate minimal hazardous waste.”

Key Markets for Powder Coatings

Powder coatings are ideal for markets that require durable, sustainable and high-quality finishes. 

“They’re well-established in automotive, architecture, appliances, general industrial and agricultural equipment, where resistance to corrosion, UV exposure and wear is critical,” Jirak says. “In architecture, they offer long-lasting protection and design flexibility for aluminum façades and metalwork. The electric vehicle (EV) sector is another fast-growing area where powder technologies are being tailored to meet evolving performance and sustainability demands.”

Carvalho notes that industries that are growing in their use of powder technologies include extrusion, general finishing, shipping containers and sectors related to infrastructure like electrical and energy. 

“We are also seeing more powder finishing in automotive compared to previous years,” Carvalho says. “Additionally, powder coatings are leading the way in growth areas such as electrification and autonomous vehicles. For example, PPG ENVIROCRON® dielectric powder coatings enhance EV battery longevity, reliability and safety by preventing overheating, enabling greater thermal management. This is a growing need as global investments in EV production increases. Applicators and manufacturers across industries are increasingly interested in transitioning their lines from liquid to powder due to performance features, application efficiency and sustainability benefits.”  

Vogel points out that powder coatings are primarily applied to metal substrates, with non-metallic substrates having some fundamental challenges.

“There’s a lot of thought and research into more heat-sensitive substrates, and it is doable, but there is a lot of additional thought from the end-user to be successful,” Vogel says. “You have to deal with non-conductivity to get it to adhere prior to curing, which requires pre-electrostatic processing, such as pretreating on non-metallic substrates for conductivity. The consistency of the non-metallic substrate also has yet to reach production levels.” 

Jirak notes that powder coatings are also being adapted into new applications where powder hasn’t been widely used in the past, mainly due to curing temperature, material limitations or aesthetic expectations.

“Thanks to advancements in low temperature and UV curing technologies, as well as specialty finishes, powder coatings are now gaining traction in these newer markets,” Jirak observes.

“For example, we’re seeing increasing use on heat-sensitive substrates such as MDF and engineered wood in the furniture and retail fixture sectors, where customers are looking for more durable, sustainable alternatives to laminates or liquid coatings,” adds Jirak. 

“Similarly, architectural applications are expanding, with growing demand for special effect finishes that replicate materials such as natural metals and stone – offering the aesthetic appeal of the real thing, but with fewer practical challenges and greater design flexibility,” Jirak notes. “This shift marks a clear expansion beyond powder’s traditional role in automotive, appliances and industrial equipment, driven by evolving performance and environmental demands.”

“We are seeing companies in more industries transition to powder coating technologies,” Carvalho notes. “For instance, the technology is gaining ground in architectural applications due to its durability and environmental advantages. Plus, advancements in resins, pigments and chemistries are making powder viable for a wider range of substrates, including heat-sensitive substrates like wood that traditionally were not good candidates for powder coatings.”

New Advances

Vogel spoke about the technical advances that have been made in powder coatings.

“If done right, powder coatings can be very durable,” Vogel notes. “Powder has been around a long time, but it wasn’t accepted until it could be cured more flexibly, or there would be delamination. Liquid baking of coatings was the precursor to powder coatings, but powder was almost a plug-and-play switch. As an example, light gauge metals like shelving could be cured pretty efficiently early on, but in the early 1990s, there was technology developed that had a wider cure profile that could effectively cure heavier gauge products. 

“We keep working on better edge coverage on the end product, which provides better corrosion resistance,” Vogel says. “You have one opportunity to coat the steel. Powder coatings go to a liquid state for a very short time, and it is natural for a liquid to flow away from a sharp edge.” 

Vogel points out that there are far more performance demands today.

“We are making more powder primers than we did 20 years ago, since powder is getting into more applications that are being used in more extreme environments,” Vogel says. “The primers help the coating protect against corrosion. You can create better performance with one coat than you could ever do before, but powder priming and a top coating take the final product to the next step in more challenging applications. There is also work being done on lower curing temperatures that use less energy.”

Future Growth

Powder coatings are likely to see further growth in the future.

“Conversion from other technologies, such as liquid coatings, has slowed down in recent years,” Vogel notes. “We have good possibilities, but it remains to be seen how they will work out.”

Jirak notes that AkzoNobel anticipates continued growth in the powder coatings market over the coming year, driven by broader industry trends and AkzoNobel’s commitment to innovation.

“One key driver is the rising global demand across core sectors, particularly with the expansion of EV production and the increasing specification of durable, weather-resistant finishes in architectural projects,” he says. “These trends continue to broaden the scope and relevance of powder coatings across a variety of applications.

“At the same time, low-cure powder technologies are enabling higher output by reducing energy consumption and shortening cycle times – especially valuable at a time when skilled applicators and line operators are in short supply and labor costs are rising,” Jirak adds.

“We’re also seeing strong interest in solutions that reduce material usage per square meter and minimize overall energy use, helping customers remain competitive. Technologies such as thin-film powders, our coatingAI Flightpath Pro application tool and the Eco+ Cure energy calculator – which helps optimize curing temperature and line speed – are all designed to support higher efficiency, lower costs and more sustainable production,” Jirak notes.

“We anticipate growth in segments such as transportation, heavy-duty equipment, automotive, as well as industries related to infrastructure like architectural, electrical and construction,” Carvalho says. “As macroeconomic trends continue to evolve, we see powder technologies well-positioned with growing interest in sustainable development. PPG powder coatings are at the forefront of this movement since they not only meet regulatory requirements but also help businesses achieve their own sustainability goals.”