Lacquers: Innovating in a demanding market

by: María Cecilia Hernández

The DBK Sector Observatory reported for the May 13, 2010 edition of spain's El Mundo newspaper that in the remainder of the year the construction sector will contract by 10%. "Consequently, the paints and varnishes industry is forecast to endure an 11.4% drop in the market, a figure lower than that registered last year: 18.8%."

In this edition INPRA LATINA spoke with experts from the coatings sector, taking a specific look at the lacquer and varnish segment, to establish the current market situation, learn about technological and application advances and receive some advice on the proper handling of products to optimize their quality and performance.

As far as Latin America and the United States are concerned, the situation is not very different from the European one, "the coatings industry depends to a large extent on the automotive market that was strongly affected by the crisis. That is why last year we were 20% below the projected plan; exports were minimal and although the local market remained, we did not manage to take off as we expected," explains Roberto Ramírez, sales representative of Merck Chemicals Mexico, for the line of effect pigments and coatings.

Given this panorama, ideas such as consolidating alliances with other companies, presenting innovations that are attractive and functional for the market, diversifying the business, entering the line of environmental care and seeking to implement regulations within the particular legislation of each country, are part of the menu of options that can open the door to the growth of liquidity of the coatings market.

According to Rubén Moreno Torres, Car Manager of the company Cesvi Mexico, "today the market has innovative products such as anti-scratch varnishes whose main feature is the great hardness they offer to mechanical agents, which aims to preserve the original finish of the vehicle for a longer time".

In that sense, Ignacio Sanguinetti, general manager of Car Refinishes in the Argentine company Akzo Nobel, tells us that they have recently carried out a business with Toyota through their primium brand. "We won a deal with Toyota for their lexus line, it's about implementing a final finishing varnish that corrects scratches and self-corrects."

These new technologies are part of the offer that the lacquers and varnishes segment has been working for years not only with the aim of removing the economic crisis but also to meet the demands that the market presents in terms of quality, duration, protection and care of the environment.

New technologies make their way
"In recent years in Mexico, ultraviolet radiation drying products have been incorporated into the automotive repainting market that, due to their speed in the drying process, are used for express repairs, that is, for painting small damages. Water-based paints are another great innovation that represents environmental advantages due to the reduction of volatile organic compounds and create a safer working environment for those who handle the product by the suppression of solvents, "says Rubén Moreno.

Likewise, "some paint manufacturers have launched to the Mexican automotive repainting market background products and UHS (Ultra high solid) varnishes that have as their main advantage the excellent filling power and a low solvent content," says Moreno.

In what has to do with the use of lacquers and varnishes for the wood market, one of the greatest advances is the acceleration of the drying process, as explained by Eduardo Pacheco Salinas, product manager of the Corporación Peruana de Productos Químicos S.A. (CPPQ), "customers who produce furniture in series need to reduce the times in each step of painting, that is why we have developed products that have as their main characteristic the fast drying. This involves using new, higher-quality raw materials."

Good application, better results
Pacheco Salinas recalled that in the wood industry lacquers have different uses depending on the results desired, "if it is used as a background it serves to seal the pores and some imperfections of the wood, this is important because it prepares the surface for the final finish, leaving a glossy, satin or matte surface, according to the product applied. In addition, it also serves as a protective film that prevents the deterioration of the wood."

In reference to the use of varnishes for the automotive market, Rubén Moreno comments that "the most applied system is the bilayer, which is composed of a base layer of color and another of transparent varnish of two components, this last layer has the function of providing shine and resistance to the coating, protecting it from chemical agents, atmospheric, mechanical such as: water, acid rain, solvents, slight scratches, solar radiation, etc.".
 
To obtain better results in the finishing of the product, the experts make several recommendations: "prior to painting, it is necessary to follow the recommended surface preparation indications, bases or primers. During application, the product must be homogenized well, use the diluent recommended by the manufacturer, dilute in the recommended proportion according to the method of application, do not exceed the recommended thicknesses to avoid sagging. Let the recommended time dry before applying the next layer," explains Eduardo Pacheco.

Moreno agrees with him when he mentions the conditions that must be met if you want to obtain better results, "clean the pieces to be painted using the right products. Applications must be implemented in a place with controlled conditions (temperature, humidity, lighting, air velocity). Mix properly according to the technical specifications of the paint manufacturer. You have to use the right equipment, technique, pressure and distance of application."

Challenges in the formula
One of the main challenges faced by the lacquer and varnish segment occurs in the laboratories of each company, the results of market and needs studies lead them to think of new formulations, which offer greater guarantees and better performance in economic and time investment.

"When developing a new formula, it must be taken into account that the products increase productivity in short drying times, easy application and good performance. That it is versatile, that is, that with a range of products different types of repairs can be carried out and in different climates. There are issues that must always be taken into account: humidity, temperature and the type of equipment that will be used for the application," Moreno emphasizes.

Finally, we asked our guests for some tips to increase the brightness in the final result of lacquers and varnishes, either in automotive use or in wood.

Eduardo Pacheco comments that in the uses of varnishes for wood "the brightness depends on the type of resin, the amount of it in the formulation and the solvents in the paint used to dilute it. We have high quality resins that when mixed with the right solvents results in a product that gives the wood a perfect shine, as well as could give it a medium or satin shine."

For his part, Rubén Moreno recommends that "in automotive repainting, to obtain the largest number of shine units of a varnish it is necessary to respect the recommendations of the manufacturer of the product, such as preparation of the mixture, number of hands applied, application pressure, times of oreo between hands, etc., to protect the paint it is recommended to use products such as waxes preferably free of silicones".