Trends in industrial use of vegetable oils in coatings

Abstract

Alkyd resins continue to be a major factor in coatings. Increased oil consumption in alkyd manufacture is not expected to be significant. Projections indicate a modest growth in total coatings usage at 2–3% per year. The industry is facing diverse coating performance demands that will bring unusual, more costly ingredients into use, probably at the expense of traditional oil-based alkyd resins. Offsetting this oil usage decline, perhaps, will be the continuing cost advantage of the relatively low-priced vegetable oils and the general versatility of alkyd resins. Increased use of oil-based resins is expected in emulsion (latex) paint modifiers to improve adhesion and early water resistance. The coatings industry, at least in maintenance and industrial coatings, is adopting a cost/sq ft/year economic evaluation, facotoring in the useful life of the coating.