Rapid Recovery of the Coatings Sector   

China's coatings producers with considerable scale produced 7.5544 million tons of coatings in 2009, being 14.14% higher than 6.6188 million tons produced by the same number of enterprises in the previous year. Of the total, the output of construction coatings was 2.6167 million tons, an increase of 21.19% over the output of 2.1592 million tons in the previous year and the growth was higher than expected. It can therefore be seen that construction coatings had an evident growth. The market share of interior wall coatings and exterior wall coatings increased along with the recovery of economy.
   The industrial total output value accomplished by coatings producers with considerable scale was RMB183.591 billion in 2009, being 15.80% higher than RMB158.558 billion in the previous year. The sale was RMB179.128 billion, an increase of 15.20% over RMB155.505 billion in the previous year. The growths of these two indexes were both higher than the growth of the output. What should be noted is that the export value was RMB7.506 billion in 2009, a drop of 46.4% from RMB14.017 billion in the previous year.
   As is seen from the economic indexes accomplished by the petroleum and chemical industry in China in 2009, however, the proportion of the industrial total output value and the sales revenue of the coatings sector in the entire petroleum and chemical industry was 2.77% and 2.72% in 2009, a slight increase than the 2.40% and 2.34% in 2008. The overall profit of the petroleum and chemical industry was RMB419.063 billion in 2009, a drop of 5.22% from RMB442.131 billion in the previous year. The total profit of the coating sector, however, reached RMB11.353 billion in 2009, an increase of 35.73% over the previous year and the total profit before tax reached RMB16.980 billion, an increase of 33.53% over the RMB12.716 billion in the previous year.

Future development trend of
interior wall coatings

Major filming substances for interior wall coatings are still made of styrene-acrylate emulsion. There are also small amounts of acetate-acrylate emulsions and pure acrylate emulsions.
   As a matter of fact, much research work is yet to be done on the technology of synthetic resin emulsion coatings in China. In case of decorative interior wall coatings alone, great quantities of synthetic resin emulsion coatings with low cost and high pigment bulk concentration are being used in China today. Recipes used in some small coating producers in the production of such coatings are not at all irrational. Most of such recipes are designed and supplied by raw material suppliers. There is therefore the problem that to use more materials suppliers are selling in coatings the consumption of some materials may be increased on purpose. Although such recipes are not rational, they are free of charge and are therefore welcome in small coatings plants. For example, in some recipes of latex paints the consumption of synthetic resin emulsions is only 9% whereas the cost of assistants accounts for 35% of the total cost or even higher. The use of assistants is very important to synthetic resin emulsion coatings, but in case the proportion goes beyond limit their effect may go to the negative. Except filming assistants that can enhance the performance of latex paints, other assistants can only make some improvements on the filming property of latex paints. It is therefore necessary to make an intensive research on recipes of low-cost interior wall latex paints used in great quantities and in various sectors so as to make them rational. For example, when the performance of coatings is not deteriorated the consumption of assistants should be reduced so as to lower the cost of coatings.
   Interior wall coatings will mainly develop towards healthy and refined varieties. Healthy varieties mean that coatings themselves have anti-bacterial and anti-mildew functions and can improve the environment of rooms. For example, nanometer coating additives that can release negative ions to air are already being sold in the market. Nanometer inorganic coating additives that have anti-bacterial, anti-mildew and air-purifying functions have also been developed by many companies. Refined varieties mean that coatings with fine film appearance, smooth hand feel and great richness are produced through the use of super fine fillers and refined processing. Three to one multi-functional (anti-bacterial/anti-mildew, anti-cracking and anti-staining) interior wall coatings, organic/inorganic composite interior wall coatings and low-cost latex paints with the function of carbon dioxide absorption are very popular today.

Future development trend of
exterior wall coatings

With the progress of coatings production technologies, the quality of exterior wall coatings has reached a quite high level. The service life of some exterior wall coatings can reach more than 15 years and the requirements in exterior wall decoration can also be fully met.
   The average annual growth of exterior wall coatings in the world coating market is 7%, being much higher than the average annual growth of 5% in the coatings sector. The average annual growth of exterior wall coatings in the Chinese market is around 15%. The use of exterior wall coatings for building decoration is also accepted in more and more areas. Local governments in Beijing, Shanghai and Jiangsu province have laid down the provision that high rises must use exterior wall coatings for decoration.
   In terms of exterior wall coating varieties, high-tech latex paints such as high-elasticity latex paints that can prevent or fill wall cracks, silicone-acrylate coatings that have hydrophobic and pollution-resistant functions and fluorocarbon coatings with excellent weather resistance have recently grown rapidly in China.
   According to experts from the coating sector, exterior wall coatings should develop in following directions:
   (1) Develop high-performance exterior wall coatings with excellent weather resistance, stain resistance and color retention, improve the weather resistance and the stain resistance of water-based latex paints and improve the performance of solvent exterior wall coatings.
   (2) Due to factors such as cement shrinkage and improper operation, exterior walls of buildings may have cracking, water seepage and water leaking. Such problems have already aroused widespread concern. Elastic waterproof wall coatings with multiple functions such as decoration, anti-cracking and waterproofing should be developed.