News

On 22 and 23 October 2024, the 13^th edition of the Wood Coating Congress took place in Amsterdam. This internationally important event is held every two years and attracts experts and companies from all over the world.
The congress is an event full of insights into the market situation, regulatory developments and new proposals in terms of raw materials, coating products and technologies.
The inspirational title of the 2024 edition of the Woodcoating Congress was "The gift of nature: the touch of technology" to recall the well-known environmental virtues of wood that are enhanced by coatings that serve precisely to preserve and ennoble it.
In this short article, we briefly attempt to recap and summarise the various themes that were addressed during the interesting presentations and subsequent engaging debates. Obviously, this is a very partial account and we refer you to the conference proceedings for more details.

Sustainability
Of the total of twenty-six papers presented over the two days, no less than seven had the word "sustainability" in the title, four the prefix -bio and one the term "natural".
Almost half of the presentations were therefore related to environmental issues, which are becoming more and more relevant to the market every day, also as a result of new directives and regulations in the European context. The presentations that had this common underlying theme were mainly those by manufacturers of raw materials and coating products, reflecting a strong trend towards replacing ingredients derived from the petrochemical industry with raw materials from renewable sources.
The majority of these presentations therefore concerned the studies carried out by the research world to come up with paint products that have the same aesthetic, protection and durability characteristics as those currently in use. The endeavour is not easy as it involves revolutionising formulations that have evolved over several decades.  However, the synergies between resin and additive manufacturers combined with the experience of formulators already appear to be able to propose interesting solutions to the market that move in the direction of a more sustainable market.
 
Functionalised surfaces
This topic, already covered in previous editions of the Wood Coating Congress, was also taken up in this edition with an interesting contribution by the Austrian OHFI. The study presented the possibility of deposition of conductive metal films on wood that can be exploited, for example, as moisture sensors.
In the building sector, therefore, these new technologies could contribute to simple, continuous and effective monitoring of wooden buildings, preventing possible damage caused directly and indirectly by moisture.
However, the presented technique also opens up other application possibilities with interesting "interactivity" directly on the surface of wooden substrates.

The Evolution of Ingredients
The initial report presented by Didier Leroy of CEPE (European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists' Colours Industry) addressed the delicate and complex topic of “rules” on the use of ingredients in paint formulations. It is a truly vast subject considering that it is estimated that more than 4,000 different chemical substances are used in the production of coating products and that there are specific regulations that affect them in a combined and transversal manner. Just think, for example, of the subject of preservatives or those with a biocide function that serve to protect wood when exposed to outdoor environments. The difficulty for manufacturers is also linked to the continuous legislative evolution on these issues, just think of the recent developments on the subject of isocyanates and melamine.
Still on the subject of safety, the PRA has presented an interesting guide on the use of organic solvents. This, it might seem, goes against the grain considering the predominance of environmental issues previously mentioned, but in reality, the wood/furniture coatings market is still strongly characterised by the use of solvent-based coatings. The guide, which contains technical and safety information on these substances, is therefore a useful source of information for the real market.
Another ingredient-related topic was that of opacity agents. In fact, it is well known to all those involved in the paint industry that high opacity is now a must that the market often demands in accordance with the expectations of the end consumer.
However, high opacity brings with it a number of formulation problems, starting with compatibility, dispersibility and the modification of the rheological properties of the paint by matting agents, which obviously have to be used in large quantities to produce coatings with the required aesthetic effects. Added to this are other possible criticalities such as the reduction of transparency and the possible criticality of certain surface characteristics (stain and scratch resistance, etc.).
The formulation world is therefore very sensitive to these new requirements and some of the presentations focused precisely on how to solve these problems with innovative matting additives.

Tests and Measurements
This session of the Woodcoating congress was chaired by Catas, who moderated a series of presentations on various topics, including: the optimal measurement of coating film thicknesses, the effects of the vapour permeability of window coatings, changes in the mechanical characteristics of coatings applied during ageing, their ability to reduce resin exudation and other topics relating to both natural and artificial ageing systems. This session was certainly one of the richest in experimental data and enquiries from the audience present, who underlined their interest with particularly lively discussion phases. One of the certainly most interesting reports concerned the topic of paint adhesion to the substrate with a report by Prof. Brogly of the French University of Haute-Alsace that appeared to everyone as a kind of master class on this topic.
Still on the subject of test methods, the CATAS report on the new test for assessing coatings softening also met with considerable interest. The work, which has been developed for several years by the UNI "Finishes’ group", certainly has transversal repercussions, involving both surfaces intended for exteriors, such as window frames, and interior furniture.
 
CATAS has been part of the scientific committee of the Wood Coating Congress since its first edition back in 1998. Considering the interest and liveliness that still characterises these meetings, the organising committee has already set a new date in 2026 for the fourteenth edition of this important event.



Catas staff - Surface Department