Key Takeaways from this newsletter:

• Smart coatings are no longer curiosities.
• “Smart” will extend past dry film performance to include application and manufacturing.
• Coatings companies will need to embrace “smart” to keep themselves relevant.

What are smart coatings?

What are smart coatings? One definition is as follows:   Smart coatings refer to coatings being able to detect changes in their environment, interact and respond to them while maintaining their structural integrity.(1)   Also, smart coatings offer additional functional value to that provided by traditional properties of protection and decoration.(2)

Not too long ago, smart coatings were considered academic curiosities with little likelihood of commercial success.(3)   That view is no longer the case, as “smart” has made its way into commercially available coatings products.  As is the case with innovation, companies that build smart features into products will differentiate themselves and become more relevant in an increasingly more competitive marketplace. 

Examples of smart coatings

Some examples of coatings products with smart features are as follows:

• Anticorrosive-Numerous anticorrosive coatings are on the market.
• Antimicrobial-A number of EPA registered paints with the ability to kill bacteria and or viruses are available from PPG,(4) Behr,(5) and Sherwin Williams.(6)  The active ingredients are based on copper or quaternary technologies. Separately, a multitude of paint offerings are available which use antimicrobials to protect the dry film against the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew.
• Self Cleaning-Numerous paint offerings tout dirt pick up resistance, which is the ability of a paint film to resist dirt accumulation.  Self cleaning is related but different in that it refers to a coating’s ability to release accumulated dirt.  Sherwin Williams has two products which shed dirt upon rain or water contact.(7),(8)   
• Cool Coatings-These coatings are designed to have good solar reflectivity which reduces heat gain.  One of the biggest markets in the U.S. is solar reflective roof coatings valued at $ 4.5 billion in 2022.(9) 
• Thermochromic, Photochromic and Coatings that Change Color with Pressure-These coatings are highly innovative and are commercially available.(10)

Other categories of smart coatings being pursued include electrochromic, anti-ice, and self-healing to name a few.

Smart-Beyond Dry Film Properties

The name smart coating has been reserved for the properties of the dry film, but work is being done to address the wet coating to make that smart too, and so we should start recognizing liquid state “smartness.” Some examples include:

• Early Rain Resistance.  Painting contractors need to paint as much as possible, and a day with rain in the forecast will cost them money.  Ideally they would like to be able to  paint right up until the rain starts.  That puts a demand on the paint which is not fully cured to withstand rain.  Numerous products are out on the market which tout early rain resistance, with a number stating you can paint up to an hour before impending rain.
• Stable Paint Viscosity-Sherwin Williams has a product that adapts to temperature so that painters don’t have to change their painting technique as temperatures change.(11)
• Painting Damp Substrates-Conventional wisdom is that decks need to be dry before staining.  Sherwin Williams has stains that can be applied to damp substrates, thus providing a bigger application window for staining.(12)

Efforts are underway to make paint manufacturing smarter too. One organization is focusing on digitalization, sustainability and the shortage of skilled workers as it relates to manufacturing.(13)

To summarize, as is the case with innovation, coatings companies will need to embrace smart coatings to survive, and smart will extend past dry film properties to include application and manufacturing.

(1) The use of smart coatings for metal corrosion control - ScienceDirect.  X.R. Novoa, C. Perez, ‘The Use of Smart Coatings for Metal Corrosion Control,” Current Opinion In Electrochemistry, Volume 40: 101324, August 2023.  (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451910323001175)

(2)  Smart Coatings - The Intelligent Choice  - Prospector Knowledge Center (ulprospector.com).  Ron  Lewarchik, “Smart Coatings-The Intelligent Choice,” Ultrus Prospector Knowledge Center, January 17, 2020. ( https://www.ulprospector.com/knowledge/10185/pc-smart-coatings-the-intelligent-choice/)

(3)  Smart Coatings: Reaching the Big Time with Many More Opportunities — American Coatings Association (paint.org).  Cynthia Challener, “Smart Coatings: Reaching the Big Time with Many More Opportunities,” CoatingsTech, Vol. 14, No. 7, July 2017. ( https://www.paint.org/coatingstech-magazine/articles/smart-coatings-reaching-big-time-many-opportunities/)

(4)  Anti-Viral & Anti-Bacterial Paint | PPG Copper Armor (ppgpaints.com).  PPG Copper Armor-PPG Website.  (https://www.ppgpaints.com/copper-armor-paint)

(5)  Antimicrobial Paint - BEHR® COPPER FORCE™ | Behr.  Behr Copper Force-Behr Website.  (https://www.behr.com/consumer/copper-force/)

(6)  SuperPaint Interior Latex with Sanitizing Technology | SherwinWilliams (sherwin-williams.com).  Super Paint-Sherwin Williams Website.  (https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/superpaint-sanitizing)

(7)  LOXON Self-Cleaning Acrylic Coating | SherwinWilliams (sherwin-williams.com).  Loxon Self-Cleaning Acrylic Coating-Sherwin Williams website.  (https://www.sherwin-williams.com/painting-contractors/products/loxon-selfcleaning-acrylic-coating?itemCatentryId=452502)

(8)  Emerald Rain Refresh Exterior Acrylic Latex Paint | SherwinWilliams (sherwin-williams.com).   Emerald Rain Refresh-Sherwin Williams Website.  (https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/emerald-rain-refresh-exterior-acrylic-latex-paint)

(9)  Can cool coatings combat climate change? (acs.org).  Craig Bettenhausen, Can Cool Coatings Combat Climate Change?,  C&EN (Chemical and Engineering News),  Volume 101, Issue 35, October 23, 2023.  (https://cen.acs.org/business/specialty-chemicals/cool-coatings-combat-climate-change/101/i35)

(10)  Color-Changing Inks - Thermochromic Ink Printing - GID - CTI (ctiinks.com)  Chromatic Technologies Website.  (https://www.ctiinks.com/)

(11)  Latitude Exterior Acrylic Latex | SherwinWilliams (sherwin-williams.com).  Latitude Exterior  Acrylic Latex-Sherwin Williams Website.  (https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/latitude-exterior-acrylic-latex)

(12)  SuperDeck® Exterior Waterborne Semi-Transparent Stain - Property & Facility Managers - Sherwin-Williams.  SuperDeck Exterior Waterborne Semi-Transparent Stain-Sherwin Williams Website.  (https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/superdeck-exterior-waterborne-semitransparent-stain)

(13)  Smart Paint Factory Alliance – Plattform für die digitalisierte und nachhaltige Lackindustrie.  Smart Paint Factory Alliance Website.  (https://smartpaintfactory.com/home-2)

(photo credit: Pixabay)