Waterborne Coatings

“Sherwin-Williams is known as a leader in cutting edge water based clear and pigmented products. These products contain no formaldehyde, low VOC’s, and most importantly develop a hard clear surface that looks more like solvent lacquer than our competitors.”

Waterborne finishes mainly comprise thermoplastic systems, mostly acrylate dispersions and are available in one-pack, two-pack or UV curing systems. In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in demand for water-based coating systems; both clear lacquers and pigmented products. In terms of quality they have improved significantly and are Sherwin-Williams's fastest growing product segment. There is now a water-based alternative for every application area and these products cure faster than conventional systems. Environmental legislation concerning reduced solvent emissions are forcing increasing numbers to use water-based systems or invest in various forms of emission control and cleaning systems. Sherwin-Williams is a world-leader in developing a complete range of water-based solutions for the global wood finishing industry.

Significant savings from no loss of product through evaporation, no costs of solvent/thinner to be added and reduced costs in the cleaning of equipment when factored into final cost calculations mean water based coatings systems are a viable alternative to solvent based.