Rising Inflation Drives Manufacturers Searching for Premium Paint and Coating Solutions at More Affordable Prices

High interest rates and increased inflation has stressed many household renovation projects leaving customers looking for lower cost alternatives. With the high cost of many raw materials needed to make water-based architectural paints and coatings, manufacturers are looking for solutions to provide top quality products at more affordable prices.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2), a raw material used as a key pigment in the production of paints and coatings, continues to fluctuate in pricing due to global economic conditions, energy costs, geopolitical events, among other factors. To put into scale how crucial TiO2 is, depending on the type of coatings being made, its loading levels can exceed 25% of the formulation. When the price of TiO2 increases, it can lead to higher production costs for paint and coating manufacturers, potentially resulting in price increase for the end products.

However, using TiO2 alone may not be cost-effective or provide certain desired properties. In this case, particle extenders are added to the formulation to help to lower the cost of these products while enhancing the coating’s end characteristics. Thorough testing and analysis needs to be done to determine the most suitable combination of TiO2 and extenders so that the quality of the end product is not compromised when trying to save money.