Ready, Aim, Calculate TiO₂ Savings!

With rising prices in TiO₂ as a major incentive, we’re showing formulators new ways to save with ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer replacement. Formulators can save about 20 cents a gallon for every 10 percent of TiO₂ that is replaced with ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymers. That’s change you can take to the bank! The recently launched Hiding OpTiO₂nizer™ Reformulation Tool enables users to input varied formulations and raw material data to quickly determine close to 200 customized formulation scenarios and cost outcomes using various levels of ROPAQUE Opaque Polymers to replace TiO₂. Dow customers can simply download the Tool to their computer; enter raw materials data in one column; followed by formulation details in another. From there, reformulation options are easily manipulated to calculate different formulation scenarios, including performance properties and costs using different levels of TiO₂ reduction and fraction of critical PVC in addition to different ways to balance extenders. Results are based on data compiled by Dow collected over our more than 30 years of ROPAQUE Opaque Polymer formulation experience. Our customers may download the Hiding OpTiO₂nizer™ Reformulation Tool directly from the Dow Coating Materials Customer E-Center. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

This Spring, Make a Visit to Spring House and Check Out the Scenery

Spring is a busy time of year here at the Dow Exposure Station in Spring House Pennsylvania. We're gearing up for customer visits and we're particularly excited about showing exterior data on the performance of our EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer Technology. I for one can't wait to show customers such a great example of innovation in action.

Perhaps I'm biased. As manager of the Exposure Station, I've seen every paint problem you can imagine – chalking, flaking, cracking, you name it. The Spring House site is also home to our labs where we've been working for decades to address these problems for customers. Spring House is the largest site in the Dow Exposure Group. We have 20 sites around the world with seven in the USA. That makes it possible to test our technology under all types of weather conditions. One of our proudest breakthroughs has been EVOQUE Pre-Composite Polymers - durable polymers that can help create exceptional paints and allow customers to reduce the amount of TiO2 in their formulations.

We've been tracking performance data for EVOQUE Pre-Composite Polymers for the past four years when the first exposure series of paints formulated with the technology were put on the fences in the winter of 2008. Fast forward to 2012 and we've now put out several series of paints containing the polymer that are representative of the products that have been or will be commercialized.

One of the first things you'll notice is the consistent improvement over the years, particularly in barrier properties such as tannin stain resistance and nail head rusting. The changing seasons and weather patterns our stations are exposed to have shown in a palpable way that paints formulated with EVOQUE Pre-Composite Polymers perform as well as, and sometimes better than, those formulated with conventional acrylic binders. But don't take my word for it. Come and see for yourself!

(Note: Other sites are Torrance, CA; Glenn St. Mary, FL; Orr Road, NC; Kankakee, IL; Bristol, PA; Elma, WA. We also expose at non-Dow commercial sites: Ocean City, NJ and Atlas and Q-lab locations).

Seeking Sustainable Solutions

After reading last month’s cover story in JCT Coatings Tech, it’s clear that sustainability is a high priority in the paints and coatings industry. What’s less clear is how we define sustainability and how we apply that definition to paints and coatings. At Dow Coating Materials, we are defining sustainability by the tools and ingredients we provide to our customers for their paints and coatings … and the performance that they deliver. One tool that helps us further our sustainability goals is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA tracks a product from raw material sourcing through manufacturing, distribution and sale. Using established and certified LCA models, we can measure the environmental impact of ingredients that go into our products and how those ingredients affect the environmental impact of your products. For example, TiO2 is a very energy intensive ingredient in paint. Levels can be reduced through the use of EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer and ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer. How does this impact sustainability? We conducted a Life Cycle Assessment to compare paints made with and without these technologies, and here’s what we found: making paints with EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer and ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer reduces carbon footprint, uses less energy and water, and produces less waste. These coatings also cost less to produce! For more examples of sustainable solutions from DCM, read the entire JCT Coatings Tech article or give us a call.

Tracking Titanium Dioxide

Let’s face it. Nothing beats titanium dioxide when it comes to scattering light – not even diamonds! Titanium dioxide is processed from titanium ore. It’s not nearly as rare as diamonds, but recent reports suggest that titanium ore demand will exceed supply unless new mines are opened. That means ore suppliers will have to reach further and dig deeper for new reserves, a process that will take both time and money. So it’s not surprising to see that more paint producers are taking significant steps to reduce their reliance on TiO₂. We have been working with a number of producers on ways to use higher rates of ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer in whites and pastels. Many also are finding never-before-seen cost savings in paints which require less TiO₂, such as mid-tones and interior flats. We’re also getting a lot of interest in our newest hiding technology. EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer improves the light-scattering efficiency of TiO₂ and enables TiO₂ reductions of up to 20%. When used in combination with ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer, even higher TiO₂ reductions are possible. As I said at the outset, nothing beats titanium dioxide for light scattering. But we can make TiO₂ work more efficiently and cost effectively. If you, too, are looking for more options, drop us a line. It may be time to rethink hiding.

Spreading the Message About TiO₂ Efficiency

Recently my colleague Dave Fasano and I contributed an article to PCI (Paint & Coatings Industry) magazine on how ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer and EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer work, either separately or together, to formulate paints at lower TiO₂ levels while maintaining equal hiding (See “Polymeric Hiding Technologies That Make TiO₂ Work Smarter”). It always feels good to publish your work, but it feels especially good when you know it can help your customers. Managing titanium dioxide use is a big issue for our industry as tight supply and cost increases make change necessary. With the recent development of EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer, Dow Coating Materials now offers two different -- but complementary -- ways to enhance hiding and stretch tight supplies of TiO₂. Check out our article here to learn more about hiding with ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer and EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer.

What I Learned from a Pioneer in Polymeric Hiding

Having worked at Dow Coating Materials for almost 30 years now, I’ve seen my share of breakthroughs that have changed the paint and coatings industry. One of those game-changing technologies was ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer which was co-developed by my friend and mentor, Dr. John Hook, back in the early 1980’s. Like today, the coatings industry was looking for ways to mitigate the high cost of TiO₂ without sacrificing performance. ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer was born of this need. It uses hollow sphere technology to create air voids that are optimized to scatter light and allow formulators to reduce their dependence on TiO₂ – all while maintaining hide and matching desired color palettes. Today, the economics that come from substituting ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer for TiO₂ have never been more favorable. It was, and still is, an excellent alternative pigment for light scattering in paint. As John Hook embarks on his retirement, we thank him for his contributions to hiding and his inspirational legacy as an expert’s expert in paint and coatings formulation.

Improving TiO₂ Efficiency

It’s very important for formulators to be able to use TiO₂ as efficiently as possible. It’s the best material for hiding in white and pastel paints. However, it’s also one of the costliest to use ingredients because as you use more TiO₂, the amount of hiding that you get out of the additional TiO₂ actually starts to decrease. So the first pound that goes into a can of paint, you get all of your value. The second pound, much less. And the third pound, very little. So we’re really concentrating on that second and third pound of TiO₂. Can we replace some of that with ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer?

We know the answer is “yes”. We’ve seen that happen in the marketplace for 30 years. So the follow-up question is: Can we help formulators replace even more? The answer again is “yes”. By using ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymer in combination with EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer Technology, we can help formulators further reduce their dependence on TiO₂ and improve the performance of their paints, all while reducing raw material costs.

That’s powerful flexibility for the paint formulator.

Rising TiO₂ Prices ... What's a Paint Formulator to Do?

We know quite a few formulators are extremely concerned about the tight TiO₂ supply situation. Unfortunately, market reports indicate that the TiO₂ supply is expected to remain tight at least until 2015. As a result of this tight supply, we have seen market prices for TiO₂ jump more than 30 percent over the last year and it's expected to climb another 30 percent+ over the next several years.

This is one of the reasons Dow Coating Materials is focused on accelerating the timing of this new pre-composite polymer technology to the market. Thirty years ago we launched ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymers to help paint companies reformulate paint with less TiO₂ content and maintain hiding. Today, with EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymers, customers can save an additional 10-20 percent TiO₂ removal when used in combination with ROPAQUE™ Opaque Polymers. The two products can be used independently or in combination to reduce TiO₂ content while improving or maintaining hiding and other paint film properties.

In short, EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer Technology addresses the concerns of customers who are looking for ways 1) to manage the risk of TiO₂ supply issues, 2) to seek relief with escalating TiO₂ prices, and 3) to stretch the limited TiO₂ supply to keep up with the paint demand that they are forecasting for the current year and next.

Hiding Technology

It’s amazing when I’m at conferences and people come up to me and say, “Hey, I saw that new ad out there. What is that stuff? That sounds really intriguing.” It means a lot to me to have experts come to me as an expert in this industry. There are so many different experts in the marketplace, from our customers -- who I consider experts from the perspective of their formulations -- to other suppliers who are experts in their areas, whether it’s binders or rheology modifiers or other additives. I’ll admit, it is kind of fun to have people approaching me, and I get an opportunity to tell colleagues who may work for a competitor, or a different supplier, about this technology.

Most importantly, our customers can come to us, and talk to us fundamentally and technically about hiding and, and how it works, and how can you make it better, or how it can improve cost savings. They know that the answers we provide are based on strong analytical capabilities. We have proof from analytical data to formulating data, to applications data, to even exterior durability data. Customers know that we have everything at our disposal, and all they have to do is ask.

Right now, we are asking customers to “rethink hiding,” in terms of performance as well as price. Even beyond that, I can envision many customers upgrading some of their lines because of what EVOQUE™ Pre-Composite Polymer Technology can deliver. Once they see it like I have, they are going to see the possibilities.

So that to me is the real reward of being considered an expert – working with customers to create evolution in the marketplace.