Coatings are used to provide product and packaging protection and enhancements in countless ways.

By Tom Polischuk

UVitec focuses entirely on UV coatings, with the major advantages versus solvent and water being its instant cure and absence of VOCs, says Todd Dickenscheidt, formulations chemist for UVitec. In addition, “UV coatings also have significantly better protective properties than water-based coatings.”

Dickenscheidt also predicts the best growth potential for UV and water-based coatings. “This is due to the reduced VOCs and drying times associated with these coatings over solvent-based. UV coatings will continue to be the high end due to their greater durability, while the lower cost of water-based coatings will make them attractive for applications that do not require stronger product resistance.”