CLIPPING
Brazil has outpaced the organic growth of the paint and
coatings industry inBrazil in thepast fewyearsdue to the
industry’s concern for providing customerswith coating
productsthatare increasinglyfriendliertohumansandthe
environment, according toFabianaMarra, productmana-
ger for Oxiteno’s petrochemical business. “The solvent
industry faces the tough challenge of anticipating trends
andbeingreadytofollowthemandenabletheuseofnew
technologies.Oxygenatedsolventscoverabroadrangeof
applicationsandplayakey role invirtually theentirefield
ofpaint,coatingandadhesivetechnologies,astheyfeature
physicalandchemicalpropertiesthatvaryaccordingtotheir
chemical composition, so they are suitable tobothwater
and solvent-based technologies,with reduced impactson
theenvironmentandhumans.”
IntheopinionofJoséCarlosMenezes,marketmanagerat
BandeiranteBrazmo,therewillbemoreoptions inoxygena-
tedsolvents,andtheremaybealeapinapplicationefficiency
andproductivity.“This technological leapwillalsodepend
on themarketplace, as therehas tobe sufficient scale so
thateachproductoptioncancontinuebeingcommercially
available.”
In conclusion, thedemand for oxygenated solvents is ex-
pected to increasecontinuouslydue to theirgreatversati-
lity,efficiencyandcompatibilitywithvarious formulations,
according toAnilton FlávioRibeiro, of Verquímica’s sales
department. “Oxygenated solvents are considered safer
tohandleandenvironmentally friendlier.”
VINYLRESINS -AFIRMLY-ESTABLISHEDTECHNOLOGY
ONTHEMARKET
Vinyl resinsareverywell recognizedandextensivelyused inco-
ating formulations, somuchso that thenew technologies they
employ leadtoperformanceandcost improvements.
Afirmly-establishedtechnologyused inseveraltypesofcoatings,
vinylresinsprovidegreatbenefits.“Twooftheirmainadvantages
aretheversatilityensuredbyexistingpolymerchainmodifications
and total compatibilityamong thevariousvinyl resinsavailable.
Their characteristics andpropertiesmake for awhole rangeof
solutions forexistingandnovel applications,whilemeeting the
most stringent performance requirements, such as gloss and
chemicalstrength,”saysRicardoGouvea,regionalsalesmanager,
WackerDispersions&Resins.
Whilethisresintypefindsapplications inseveralfields, itstands
outparticularly inprinting inks forflexiblepackagingmaterials,
industrial coatings, such as protectivepaints, and formaritime
coatings,woodfinishes,andheat-sealablecoatings.“Thevarious
vinylpolymermodificationsprovidecoatingswithsignificantad-
vantages,suchaschemicalstrengthandhighabrasionresistance,
excellent compatibilitywith other polymers, and outstanding
adhesiononmetallicandpolymericsubstrates.Somevinylresins
canalsobeused in2ksystemsthankstothepresenceofreactive
groups.”
Technology
According toGouvea,Wacker investsabout4percentof its re-
venues inresearchanddevelopment,coveringallproduct lines.
“Thecompany isaworld leadingproducerofvinylresins.Oneof
theproductswe’velaunchedrecentlyistheVinnolH30/48Mresin,
avinylchlorideandvinylacetateterpolymerwithcarboxylgroups
