www.paintshow.com.br
16
Março 2011
PAINT & PINTURA
sue—, the State of Pernambuco also
has power and importance in the
region because the three regional
market leaders are based in it, na-
mely, AkzoNobel, BASF Suvinil, and
Iquine, which share the leadership
in the Northeastern market, sup-
plying the region from the Greater
Recife area.
Titanium Dioxide - One further
incentive
In late 2010, the Foreign Exchange
Chamber, known for short as Ca-
mex, published its Resolution no.
91 to lower for one year the import
tax rate for titanium dioxide (TiO
2
)
from 12 to 2 percent, for 95,000-
ton quota.
Such tax cut represents a very
important achievement for the
paint industry, as titanium dioxide
is used in most formulations and
has a relevant weight in formula-
tion costs. Right now, however, the
benefit from the tax cut is not actu-
ally being perceived because of the
price increases that the industry
has incurred, which have practi-
cally covered the 10 percentage
points that had been taken out of
the tax rate, i.e. for imports, prices
remain the same because the costs
are unchanged.
“The tax cut will favor paint
manufacturers and have a positive
impact on the cost of end products.
However, we must point out the
limitations on the demand from the
Brazilian market because titanium
dioxide manufacturers are produc-
ing at full capacity and coping with
increased prices of raw materials
and production costs. This has been
putting some upward pressure on
titanium dioxide prices for Brazil,”
says Eduardo Garcia Mota, Sales
Manager, Braschemical.
According to Marco Aurélio Bar-
boza, Titanium Dioxide Business
Manager at DuPont Brazil, another
factor that needs reviewing is the
volume represented by the quota
benefitting from the tax cut. “This
95,000-ton quota will not suffice
to cover the entire amount to be
imported in 2011, which should be
in the vicinities of 140,000 tons.”
In spite of the increase in titanium
dioxide prices, which is also expect-
ed to persist for the whole year, the
decrease in the import tax rate will
still represent savings for Brazilian
producers, as well as an incentive
to Brazil’s paint industry. “The im-
pact of the tax cut largely depends
on international price levels. If
prices don’t rise, then the Brazilian
market will be able to benefit from
lower costs, but since the current
trend does not favor such situation,
the tax cut may not have as great
an impact on prices in Reals (Brazil-
ian currency). Nevertheless, even if
the tax cut has a minor effect on
prices in Reals, the Brazilian market
will still display a strong demand
for titanium dioxide, particularly
for the paint industry, which is
expected to experienced significant
growth in 2011,” says Resinet’s
Sales Director Antonio Celso Ferraz.
Rheology Modifiers - Paint
stability
Rheology modifiers have a direct
influence on the application and
strength of the end product, deter-
mining the flow and clarity of the
coating on the substrate, playing a
part on the coating film level and
finish quality, and contributing to
washability and resistance to water
and alkalis.
During the resting or storage
period, rheology modifiers prevent
fillers and pigments from settling
at the bottom of the container,
thus also acting as dispersion and
suspension stabilizers of those sol-
ids on the liquid medium (water-
or solvent-based). At the applica-
tion, they reduce both the spills
that usually occur when paint
rollers are used (be they made of
synthetic foam or lambswool) and
such undesirable post-cure effects
as the famous “orange peel” —po-
rous effect.
According to Renato Stoicov, Prod-
uct Manager for Brazil and the
Mercosur region at Tego Additives
& Specialty Resins, rheology ad-
ditives can impart to the dry film
greater resistance to wet scrub-
bing, thereby increasing durability,
while making the end product more
resistant to the action of microor-
ganisms. “Rheology agents can also
ensure a good behavior on the wet
film, preventing slips and foster-
ing excellent leveling. It is worth
pointing out that the products from
the Tego Viscoplus line provide an
additional benefit. They lower the
minimum film formation tempera-
ture (MFFT), making the applied
paint more resistant even under ad-
verse conditions (low temperatures
and/or very humid environments),”
he stresses.
There are major advantages to
using this kind of product, to the
extent that they are used prop-
erly as regards the balance of
the paint formulation, including
better transfer and spreading, as
well as more positive paint yields.
“This kind of product, if used ap-
propriately, i.e. observing the right
dosage according to the desired
characteristics of the paintwork,
whether the application is by
roller, brush or spray gun, certain-