Expert interview: Wood coatings and sustainability

Wood is considered one of the most sustainable building materials in a variety of products. In order to meet these expectations, wood coatings must also be as sustainable as possible. We discussed current technical challenges with experts

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not only for wood coatings, an important task is the pressure of the use of biobicides. Regulations such as Biocide Directive 528/2012 and 98/8/EG are affecting the industry as a whole. Even if this is a difficult task, it is not necessarily a bad development. "You've seen how getting rid of biobicides can be a catalyst for innovation. As we address the field of non-killing biochemical coatings, I think we can look forward to seeing some interesting areas of development," said Jos Kemp, head of wood coatings at PPG Research and Development.
wood coating without fungicides?
regulations and labels have reduced the number of biocides, explains Claudia Schirp, project manager at Fraunhofer WKI:
In terms of external wood coatings, the biocide mixture has almost been reduced to propylene cycloquine, IPBC and pyrethroids. However, the amount of active ingredients should be reduced as much as possible. "
Schirp is a project manager at Fraunhofer WKI in Germany.
, as Schirp says, it is difficult to eliminate biocides from wood coatings once and for all. She added: "But with regard to toxicity and allergic reactions, we should always reconsider specific applications." For Jos Kemp, the ultimate goal is "to create clean products with a long shelf life by harnessing our innovative capabilities at PPG to find alternative solutions." What can we do with different paint formulations. "
technology may be associated with
, of course, biocides are only one of the factors that influence the development of wood coatings. However, experts had different views on technical challenges. As Schirp puts it: "At least scientifically, technical challenges in the field of wood coatings have been extensively solved. Even so, she adds, "sometimes the question is whether technology solutions are economical enough." For Kemp, it was difficult to develop wood coatings that were technically capable of reaching maximum speed and were economically marketable. One example is a shift to more water-based products.
Kemp is the wood coatings research and development manager at PPG in the Netherlands.
has come a long way in this area, but the industry has not yet achieved the same quality as solvent-based water-based products," said Mr. Kemp. One of the problems that PPG focuses on is increasing opening hours and mirror quality. He also believes there is potential to improve the efficiency of painters and further extend their durability. "For us, the path to greater environmental protection lies not only in the products we produce, but also in the longer life of our products. He explained.
Schirp,
of sustainable development based on biology, also thinks of sustainability. "When you ask for renewable raw materials, recyclability and microplastics to pollute the environment, there's still plenty of room for research and development," she said, adding: "I'd rather see the demand for recycling systems and technology than the need for new features." The material. "
transition to bio-based wood coatings is also a focus for Jos Kemp. "Biocertification of our products is currently one of our biggest selling points," he said. However, he added, this has its limitations: "But we and our customers will not accept any reduced performance in exchange." "