Tough Talk--Take a Bow, Powder Coating Industry

As you have been reading, this edition of Powder Coated Tough celebrates the theme of “Giving Back.” We all would like to take a step back and laud the generous efforts by our colleagues and companies that make a difference in everyday life. I thought long about the subject of this column. My initial impulse was to itemize a chronology of personal efforts to support newcomers and innovators in our industry. Then I realized there is a much bigger picture to be appreciated.

We all need to glance into the mirror and give ourselves a little pat on the back. Think about it for a moment. Think about all the positive things powder coatings bring to people—not only to those who work in the industry itself, but also the impact that our industry and technology have on the environment, the economy, and society in general.

Statistics indicate that United States powder coating development, production and sales directly provide an estimated 6,000 highly skilled jobs, representing approximately $400 million in aggregate wages. If you include powder coating applicators, the number of jobs climbs to nearly 66,000 and about $2.8 billion in wages. Add the supporting commercial enterprises such as raw material production, chemical pretreatment, equipment manufacturers, production and office supplies, utilities, transportation, packaging and IT, and the number of employees and economic impact swell manifold. The powder coating industry conservatively provides over $20 billion to this nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), and with it vibrant communities and economically secure households and families.

Looking beyond the economic benefit that we provide to our nation’s economy, it’s heartwarming to consider how much our technology has improved the environment. As we all know, powder coatings, the cleanest of all industrial coatings, eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions from finishing lines. Consider for a moment, how much smog-producing solvent would have been belched into the atmosphere if powder coating technology had never left the laboratory. If solventborne coatings were used instead of powder in 2016, I estimate that an additional 800 million pounds of solvent would have been emitted from industrial finishing lines. Depending on abatement technology, much of this would be captured and/or converted to non-polluting compounds; however, these abatement techniques can be costly and energy consuming.

Powder coatings not only eliminate noxious VOCs, but they also minimize industrial waste streams. Most liquid spray paint lines create overspray wastes that require collection, packaging, costly disposal and regulatory reporting. Our clean technology avoids all of this.

Another remarkable feature of powder coatings is durability. Nearly all conversions of industrial liquid paint to powder has resulted in an appreciable improvement in the longevity of the article coated. This translates into real economic benefit for the consumer and the environment. Consumers don’t have to replace goods as often and landfills don’t have to accept expended stuff as frequently.

So all you powder coating professionals out there, take a well-deserved bow. Your efforts and the determined efforts by your colleagues, suppliers, customers and competition have truly given back to the economy, the environment, your community and the future of this planet.

Kevin Biller is technical editor of Powder Coated Tough and the president of The Powder Coating Research Group. He can be reached at kevinbiller@yahoo.com