TechFocus B Seminars

This workshop focuses on what happens after decisions have been made - and the barriers to adoption when moving sustainable coatings from concept into application, production and long-term use.

Many sustainable coatings meet regulatory and sustainability targets on paper, but face new challenges once they are applied, scaled up and used in the field. Cost remains a key barrier, with adoption often driven more by regulation, certification and specification than by customer pull, particularly in B2B and industrial markets.

This practical, experience-led workshop explores the operational and performance realities of delivering sustainable coatings to market, alongside the challenges of implementation. Drawing on real examples from formulators, suppliers and end users, it examines performance gaps, application variability, durability expectations, and how changes to application practices, equipment and processes can create additional hurdles.

It will also explore customer perception, including scepticism around green claims and limited awareness of the benefits sustainable solutions deliver, as well as how companies manage customer trust, warranties and liability when trade-offs and unintended consequences become visible.

Designed around shared experiences rather than presentations, the session provides practical insight into making sustainable coatings work in real-world conditions.

Chair: Brian Roulstone 

Paint production often relies on corrections at the end of the manufacturing process, when the complexity of the product is high, making them very tedious and costly. ORONTEC is focused on early process control and offers a portfolio of modern measurement devices aimed at preventing error propagation along the production process to increase productivity. We want you to rethink your production processes! The presentation will demonstrate this philosophy with three examples:

• Q-Chain® LCM, a liquid color measurement device to monitor the milling process of pigment pastes; milling times can be reduced by up to 25%, while simultaneously eliminating the need for tinting steps later in the process
• MagnoMeter XRS®, a device that is sensitive to interactions at liquid-solid interfaces (e.g. pigment-additive). We will demonstrate its use in the quality control of coatings, e.g. stability / compatibility of pigment pastes or the consistency of incoming raw materials as well as of batch-to-batch production
• Delcor, a new, non-destructive method to evaluate corrosion test panels. Benefits: higher reproducibility/accuracy; the re-usability of test panels leads to savings in test chamber space, material, energy and waste

UV radiation damages polymeric coating systems and substrates. UV Absorber additives are often included in coating formulations for protection. Traditional organic UV absorbers are consumed by exposure to solar radiation, limiting the lifetime of the coating (and some classes are coming under regulatory pressure). In contrast, inorganic UV absorbers are not consumed in situ, so extending the coating lifetime. Some inorganic types are photoactive, creating radicals which can degrade the coating and substrate.

Energenics manufactures the CerPlus® A series range of inorganic UV absorbers. The active ingredient is cerium oxide nanoparticles, a non-photoactive, non-hazardous material. Water and solvent based dispersions, both with uniform small particle size, allow transparency in coating films.

Sustainability in effect pigments can be enhanced through several key measures. Using secondary and low‑carbon aluminium significantly reduces energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Low‑VOC products such as Versalan® minimize solvent impact, while high‑coverage pigments like STAPA® HD help lower material usage. Together, these approaches reinforce ECKART’s commitment to producing efficient and sustainable effect pigments.

From Regulation to Reality: How Coatings Companies Are Making Trade-offs on Sustainability, Performance & Risk, examines how organisations are navigating reformulation decisions, managing regulatory uncertainty, and weighing sustainability commitments against performance demands. 

This workshop explores how coatings companies are navigating difficult decision-making in an environment where sustainability goals, regulatory pressures, cost, and product performance often conflict.

Rather than focusing on technical solutions or regulatory updates, it centres on how organisations make strategic choices under uncertainty. Key challenges include assessing risk, deciding when to reformulate products, determining acceptable performance trade-offs, and clarifying responsibility as regulations continue to evolve.

The session begins by framing the issue: decision-making itself has become a major bottleneck, as companies struggle to balance competing priorities. It then presents multiple industry perspectives, highlighting real-world examples of difficult decisions, unavoidable compromises, and ongoing uncertainties.

A moderated debate follows, tackling critical questions such as whether companies are acting too quickly or too slowly on reformulation, whether durability is undervalued in sustainability metrics, and how regulatory risk should be shared across the value chain. Audience interaction plays a central role in shaping the discussion.

The workshop concludes with a synthesis of insights and practical takeaways, helping participants rethink their own approaches and develop clearer, more confident decision-making frameworks in the face of ongoing uncertainty