Akzo Nobel has acquired the powder coatings business of Stahl. With Stahls technology the company can now offer powder coating solutions for heat sensitive products. We spoke with Daniela Vlad, Business Director Akzo Nobel Powder Coatings about the deal and Akzos further plans.
You have acquired Stahl Performance Powder Coatings business. How do you rate the market for heat sensitive substrates?
Daniela Vlad: Almost all types of wood or wood-like products are non-conductive and sensitive to heat and moisture. Using an electrostatic energy and heat to apply and cure powders has been a challenging task for the coatings industry. However, numerous technological improvements in materials and process equipment are bringing new opportunities and thus growth into the marketplace.
Could you please be more specific on the markets and potentials?
Vlad: The operational, environmental and performance benefits of powder coatings make it a good choice for a wide range of applications, examples being wood for furniture or architectural applications. With this powder coating technology, manufacturers can lower operational costs, increase end-product value and provide a mechanism for meaningful differentiation.
AkzoNobel is strengthening its powder business. To what extent do powder coatings have potential to become more than a niche segment?
Vlad: With increasing environmental awareness and air pollution standards becoming more stringent, the demand for environmentally-friendly coatings is also increasing. Powder coatings is well established as a high-performance, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional solvent-borne paints. These attributes, together with the unique aesthetic options that are available with powder, have made it the preferred coating technology for many products. Further developments in powder will lead to lower cure applications, enabling us to powder coat most heat-sensitive substrates opening up new market segments.
Daniela Vlad, Business Director at Akzo Nobel Powder Coatings