Both challenges and opportunities face the UK coatings and finishes sector.

The opportunities come both in the form of new technology, such as the much-vaunted nanotechnology and modified wood and, surprisingly, legislation like the impending smoking ban on public enclosed spaces which is tipped to grow business in the decking and exterior joinery market.

The challenges are a continuing market decline and regulation, although on the latter point, most manufacturers have geared up well in advance of an EC directive limiting VOC emissions which comes into force at the start of 2007.

Nanotechnology breakthroughs

Nanotechnology is a big talking point – with two manufacturers, Arch Sayerlack and ICA Group, launching products in 2006.

This approach employs nanoparticles (particles of controlled dimensions, measuring nanometers across) usually silicon, with the aim of improving features such as scratch and wear resistance. The technology is already used in the automotive industry.

Arch Sayerlack’s HD System, which has a “3D micro-polymer structure”, is designed for use with flooring, furniture and kitchens.

The company says the HD System reaches 6H on the hardness scale and is designed to provide high levels of scratch resistance. It expects big demand in the flooring industry.

Sayerlack has brought out a full range of transparent and coloured coatings under the HS System banner, which can be applied using traditional methods and equipment, including UV curing.

Nanotechnology is used by fellow Italian wood coatings manufacturer ICA Group in its UV coatings for parquet flooring and water-based exterior coatings. It also says the approach increases performance and wear resistance.

“By adding particles of silica to the resin used in the formation, it is possible to exploit fully the virtues of the new compounds created,” it said.

ICA said the products are particularly good for wood flooring because they combine transparency with high levels of resistance.

On the exterior water-based coatings front, ICA says nanotechnlogy helps create a coating film with more evenly distributed filtering power than is provided by traditional UV filters.

Sikkens is also looking into nanotechnology for use in future formulas.

The company’s business development manager Geoff Taylor said he could see the market accepting nano-technology as one of the next big things but thought the technology’s performance had yet to be proven.

But Sikkens already sees great opportunities for modified wood. At Interbuild earlier this year it displayed a window constructed from Accoya, which uses the acetylation process to make softwoods and non-durable hardwoods much more durable.

Sikkens is the finishing partner in a collaboration with BSW Timber which aims to push the benefits of Accoya to door and window manufacturers and other joinery firms. Sikkens has developed a new package of coatings guarantees specifically for the material, with coat maintenance for a translucent (wood stain) finish set at 10 years and 12 years for an opaque finish.

“Modified wood will be a growth area which will fight back against PVCu,” said Mr Taylor, adding that the general market “remained challenging” but growth could be found.

“We are looking into new markets and opportunities, such as offsite construction for the 2012 Olympics. We see demand for life cycle assessments in the sustainable legacy of the games.”

Akzo Nobel Specialist Coatings commissioned experts at Imperial College London to produce a life cycle assessment for Sikkens factory-applied coatings and brush-applied maintenance systems.

Sikkens also sees potential in the UK for coatings in the decking sector, but more on the hardwood/modified wood side than on mass-produced softwood.

Fire-safe finish

This year Becker Acroma launched its Pr0 fire retardant, a Class 0 product formulated specifically for use on new interior wood. Tested by Warrington Fire, Research. Pr0 is billed as satisfying fire protection while maintaining quality of finish. The company predicts “incredible” interest.

Becker Acroma’s Martin Seabrook said the UK wood finishing market remained challenging, with the traditional kitchen and furniture sectors declining due to Far East and eastern European cheap imports.

“Interior and exterior joinery remains healthy, governed by housebuilding and without the same degree of pressure from imports,” said Mr Seabrook.

England’s impending ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces has been flagged up as an opportunity by Cuprinol, as pubs invest in outdoor space to cater for smoking customers.

Cuprinol expects its new Anti-Slip Decking Treatment to do well in the trade market as pubs and other companies seek to ensure the safety of customers.

Emma Lazenby, marketing manager of Dulux Trade (Woodcare) and Cuprinol Trade, reported rapid growth in cladding, fencing and decking products.

“With a growth in the installation of decking over the last 10 years, we are now seeing a pull-through in the treatment area, as the decision is taken to treat and colour decking,” she said.

Colour trends

She added that opaque woodstains were performing strongly for redecoration and that Cuprinol Sprayable was successful in trade and retail markets.

BonaKemi said the trend is still for matt surfaces, with lighter surfaces or limewashed and whitewashed effects giving way to darker tones.

Its best-selling Parquet Décor stain is wenge, thanks to designers favouring a “Jacobean look” with wide dark boards.

Sikkens said opaque and translucent products are still very strong, but transparent is still flat.

BASF‘s partnership with Permacoat Ltd on a new thermoplastic finishing system is making progress. The PermaSkin system for finishing three-dimensional construction elements is being targeted at the exterior market, particularly cladding and doors.

BASF has a double-sided door machine in Germany for testing and demonstration purposes, and PermaSkin has been used in the Brussel’s famous Atomium science exhibition centre.

“What we are trying to do is give the benefits of a PVCu system but using wood as the base material,” said Permacoat’s Richard George, adding that the partnership was close to signing its first UK customers.

The potential of wood lacquers which kill bacteria is being tapped by Premier Finishes, whose Hygienilac lacquer is being used by several customers, including door manufacturer LS Group Ltd. Servicemaster’s Furniture Medic division is using the lacquer for furniture restoration in care homes. It is also being used by joinery and flooring producers.

Another factor in the coatings sector which will come into effect in January 2007 is a new EC directive stipulating lower VOC emissions, but according to the UK industry, this will have mimimal effect here as compliance is already widespread.

More of an impact could be made by an EU ruling that products containing over 5% of the organic solvent N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) should be designated as “toxic”, with a risk warning about irritation to eyes, respiratory system and skin. Currently there is no such requirement for products containing less than 10% NMP.

BonaKemi has taken a pre-emptive approach and its core products such as Traffic have been reformulated to be NMP-free.