Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine March/April 2022 - 20

INDUSTRIAL FINISHING: UV CURED WOOD FINISHES
Enduring Durability of UV Cured Wood Finishes
UV
coatings are often 20 to 40 percent more
durable than standard two-component
finishes depending on the application.
As a result, not only do they guard
against early-use wear and tear, but they also provide increased
long-term resilience, which helps to extend the life of the wood
floor even further. We spoke with representatives from Axalta
and CANLAK to learn more about the advancements their
companies have made to improve UV-Cured Wood Finishes in
recent years.
Upon being asked if Axalta has successfully developed UV
Coatings that cure more quickly, a spokesperson from the firm
stated: " UV coatings are a constantly evolving technology in
the coatings world right now. Axalta is continuously working
on improving performance both at customers and in the field
concerning all forms of UV. Whether it be waterbased UV clears
and Opaques for cabinets and furniture industries or UV for
flooring customers. "
A spokesperson from Axalta responded when we inquired
whether the supply of critical ingredients had been impeded by
global shipping challenges that had happened in the previous
two years, adding: " These challenging global times with respect
to supply chains and logistics - there are very few industries
not affected by global shortages or shipping and logistics issues.
Axalta is no different - WB, UV and UV raw materials generally
come from global sources, and shipping has undoubtedly been
impacted.
Axalta has made several improvements in enhancing the longterm
durability of UV coatings. The company responded with
the following statement: " Endless research and development
efforts to improve long term durability is constant at Axalta -
Customers are always looking for an advantage in the market
challenging coating suppliers to improve performance for
longevity continually. "
Officials from Axalta responded to our question regarding
if there are any varieties of wood that are difficult to treat with
UV coating; they replied that there are some that are difficult
to treat because they contain natural compounds that attack
or resist the coating; Axalta representatives noted that " Not all
wood types are created equally, especially exotic woods found
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commonly in UV flooring...when these situations arise, Axalta's
research and development team efforts commence to overcome
any issues that might arise to provide a customer solution. "
In terms of what is happening with coloured UV coatings
from the company's standpoint, they responded their position
affirmatively:
" UV Opaque or 'coloured'
coatings
have
increasing demand as the consumer base becomes more aware
of water-based coatings. Traditionally customers have been
hesitant to move to water-based non-UV coatings due to a lack
of performance vs solvent-based counterparts. However, recent
technological developments have allowed WB UV opaques
to become a real option for those customers with similar
performance to what they use today. Axalta has one of the
leading WB UV Opaque systems in the markets with several key
accounts transitioning over the last year taking advantage of this
technology. "
Representatives from CANLAK discussed their ability to
develop UV coatings that cure faster or more efficiently in any
way; they affirmed such by saying: " Yes, there are different
types of UV products. 100% solids UV can be cured immediately
after they are applied. You can't speed up the cure time of 100%
solids material. They are already instantaneous. However,
with UV products less than 100% solids, you must get the
solvent or water to flash before curing it with the UV light. In
recent years improvements in the formulation and application
techniques have resulted in reducing the amount of time needed
to flash before the UV light and reducing the amount of UV
energy required to cure the product. The product still cures
instantaneously like 100% solids material. Still, the flash time
that is required has been reduced, which in turn means there is
less total time between product application and curing. "
Since the pandemic occurred, there have been supply-chain
issues affecting many companies. CANLAK faced the same
issues with the worldwide shipping crisis, which impeded the
supply of vital ingredients, but CANLAK has found ways to get
around this problem. " The supply chain situation has made
everyone's life more interesting than in prior years. We have
had to get creative, but we have not experienced " shut downs "
because of supply chain issues. We have used our R&D lab to find
alternative raw materials to meet the needs of our customers.
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Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine March/April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine March/April 2022
