Electrophoresis is an organic coating method that works by depositing paint onto a part or assembled product using an electric current. Due to their ability to coat the most complex parts and assembled products with specific performance requirements, electrophoretic coatings are a very important means of coating a wide range of products throughout the industry. Coatings of agricultural equipment, appliances, automobiles, auto parts, marine components, transformers, metal office furniture, lawn and garden equipment and fasteners, decorative appliances, fixtures, and other products can all be achieved by electrophoresis. Among them, the application of electrophoretic coatings in the automotive industry is the most extensive, with a market share of 38.72% in 2020, followed by the decoration and hardware accessories industry with a proportion of 27.97%.
Common electrophoretic coating coatings are epoxy-based coatings, acrylic-based coatings, and polyurethane-based coatings. Epoxy-based coating refers to a kind of coating with epoxy resin as the main raw material. Epoxy resin is an organic compound that is made up of carbon chains that are linked to other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen. This connection occurs through covalent bonds, in which elements share a pair of electrons to join together. Epoxy paint uses a chemical mixture of two liquid components, epoxy resin and hardener, to create a tough, solvent-resistant topcoat. Acrylic-based paints are quick-drying paints made from pigments suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion, which are water-soluble but water-repellent when dry. Polyurethane-based coatings (PU coatings) are reactive polymers that are a combination of polyol resins and isocyanate hardeners or hardeners, commonly used in industrial and architectural coating systems for steel products, concrete, wood, and other substrates, with high abrasion resistance.
The development status and prospect of the electrophoretic coating products industry in Eastern Europe
According to our research, the global electrophoretic coating products industry was valued at $94.85 million in 2015 and increased to $122 million in 2019, with a rising trend. However, at the beginning of 2020, the outbreak and spread of the epidemic had a negative impact on the industry, which reduced the total market value of the electrophoretic coating products industry to US$116 million in this calendar year, a decrease of 5.02% compared to 2019. As a result of the pandemic, the economy of Eastern Europe contracted sharply in 2020, with the overall level falling by 3%, which was much more severe than the financial crisis of 2008-2009. Based on this data, we have conducted a series of functional calculations and deduced the data for the next 6 years with scientific models, and finally predicted that by 2026, the total market value of the electrophoretic coating products industry will reach 179 million US dollars.
From the perspective of Eastern European markets, the Czech Republic is the largest revenue market for this industry. In 2020, the market value of Czech electrophoretic coating products was US$27.87 million, accounting for 23.96% of the market share, and in the forecast year, the Czech market share in Eastern Europe will continue to rise, and is expected to grow to 24.12% by 2026, while Romania ranks second with a market value of US$12.19 million and a market share of 10.48%.
The market concentration of the electrophoretic coating products industry is low, so the industry is quite competitive. The top three companies are Electropoli, ALRO Group, and Voestalpine Rotec. In 2020, their market shares were 9.17%, 7.18%, and 4.36%, respectively.
Low pollution, energy saving, resource saving, electrophoretic coating has attracted much attention because of its absolute advantages
Electrophoretic coatings can be used in a wide range of applications and in almost any field. In the automotive industry, electrophoretic coatings include coatings for bodies, cargo boxes, frames, chassis and parts; in the field of furniture, electrophoretic coatings are widely used in fire doors, locks, locks, metal structure windows, etc.; in the field of light industrial hardware, electrophoretic coatings are used in locks, bicycle accessories, camera mounts, gift box rods and many other fields. More importantly, it is suitable for the coating of workpieces with complex shapes, edges and corners, holes, etc., and it is relatively easy to realize the mechanization and automation of the electrophoretic coating industry.
Compared with electroplating, the utilization rate of the coating is as high as 95% or even 100% when electrophoretic coating. Due to the low solid content and low viscosity of the tank liquid, the paint brought out by the coated material is less, especially the application of ultrafiltration technology, the coating process implements a closed cycle, and the paint recovery rate is high. Therefore, the coating has the characteristics of low pollution, energy saving and resource saving. Under the increasingly strict environmental protection policy in Europe, electrophoretic coatings are receiving more and more attention. At the same time, protective anticorrosive coatings have the characteristics of smooth coating, good water resistance and good chemical resistance, which also opens up the demand market for electrophoretic coatings.
In Europe, there are a large number of effective international cooperation organizations and agreements for the protection of the European environment. In addition, the EU has a dedicated legislature that covers a wide range of content and areas, including water/air/noise pollution, waste management, hazardous substances, radioactivity, wildlife and rural protection, environmental assessment, and access to information. When it acts in a legislative capacity, its directives, regulations, and decisions are binding on member states and enforceable by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Therefore, the electrophoretic coating method with both environmental protection and low carbon can form its own unique competitive advantage and avoid being replaced by other methods, thus bringing opportunities for the development of the industry.