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| Photo courtesy of PPG Industries Inc. |
A new generation of coil coating technologies and formulations is enabling buildings to look newer longer than ever. Unfortunately, the ever-expanding range of choices can make it difficult to specify the right coating for individual projects, especially when it comes to balancing cost, durability, color performance and specification requirements.
Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries Inc. offers a full range of coil coatings solutions, from industry-leading polyvinylidene fluoride
(PVDF) coatings for high-visibility wall panel and roofing applications, to workhorse polyester-based formulations for industrial, agricultural or commercial buildings.
The following primer details the differences between PVDF, super-polyester, silicone-modified polyester (SMP) and standard polyester coatings-and helps identify the right solutions for specific applications from corresponding products in PPG’s newly restructured collection of coil coatings products.
What’s The Difference? PVDF vs. Polyester-Based Coatings
Coatings feature three basic ingredients: resins, pigments and solvents. Although each plays a crucial role in determining the overall quality of a coating, one of the most critical components is the base resin, which ultimately determines performance attributes such as resistance to abrasion, scratching, moisture and ultraviolet (UV) light, as well mechanical characteristics, including adhesion, hardness and flexibility during fabrication.
PVDF resins are composed of alternating carbon-fluorine and carbon-hydrogen bonds, which are among the strongest in the chemical world. Consequently, PVDF resins are chemically and photo-chemically inert, and, therefore, virtually immune to degradation from sunlight, moisture, acids, pollutants and chemicals.
Because their chemical structure provides long-term UV-durability, color and gloss retention, coatings made with PVDF resins, such as Duranar liquid and powder coatings and Coraflon powder coatings by PPG, are typically specified for high-end curtain walls, metal roof and building panels, storefronts and other applications that demand more vibrant and durable coating surfaces.
Standard polyester, super-polyester and SMP coatings, by contrast, are based on resins with carbon-hydrogen, carbon-oxygen and carbon-silicone bonds. Because the molecular bonds within these resins are weaker than those of PVDF coatings, long-term exposure to UV light and other environmental hazards eventually defeats the structural chemical integrity of the resin coatings, causing the coating to chalk or fade.
Nevertheless, thanks to their comparatively low-cost, hardness and continuous technology enhancements, polyester-based coil coatings offer ever-increasing levels of durability and color and gloss retention.
The Next Generation of Coatings
PPG recently restructured its coil coatings line-up to offer an expanded range of solutions, including several new and upgraded products that meet budget levels and American Architectural Metal Association (AAMA) performance specifications for almost every type of building product.
PVDF Coatings
Duranar coatings, one of the industry’s most trusted and specified 70 percent PVDF product lines, have been reformulated with a lead-free composition, a broader color palette and enhanced Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) performance for cool roof and panel applications.
The reformulated product line includes the addition of Duranar powder coatings, which are based on an award-winning technology PPG introduced in 2008. Made with the same 70 percent PVDF resin technology as Duranar liquid coatings, Duranar powder coatings offer the environmental benefits of a zero-VOC formulation together with the durability, color and gloss retention, and chalk, corrosion and stain resistance of Duranar liquid coatings.
With their metallic effects, broad color and gloss ranges, and exceptional durability, Duranar coatings and Coraflon powder coatings meet AAMA 2605 specifications, the industry’s most stringent performance standard.
Super-Polyester and SMP Coatings
To give architects a greater choice of super-polyester and SMP coatings, PPG has expanded its Durastar line of products to include Durastar SMP and Durastar Ultra-COOL coatings, two existing products formerly known as Superl II and Superl II SMP coatings.
All Durastar coatings, including Durastar standard polyester coatings, are based on proprietary formulations developed by PPG with a long history of providing excellent UV durability and hardness on building products and components.
Durastar SMP Ultra-COOL coatings fulfill the growing need for advanced environmental performance in the polyester coatings segment. Manufactured with PPG’s proprietary infrared
(IR)-reflective technology, these coatings deflect heat away from buildings to keep them cooler so they consume less energy. Durastar SMP Ultra-COOL coatings are engineered to be a value alternative to PVDF-based Duranar Ultra-COOL coatings.
Standard Polyester Coatings
For garage and entry doors, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment and other utilitarian applications, PPG has introduced Duraform coatings, a new line of cost-efficient polyester-based coatings. The Duraform line, which replaces the former Truform line of coatings, offers seven distinct formulations, each re-engineered to optimize performance characteristics for specific market applications. They include Duraform BP for building products; Duraform AP for appliances; Duraform HV for HVAC components; Duraform DR for doors; Duraform TR for transportation; Duraform LF for lighting and Duraform CP for consumer products.
With the newly restructured and enhanced coil coatings line, PPG offers a comprehensive, single-source supply of products to meet every budget, market segment and performance specification.
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Scott Moffatt is the marketing director, building products, PPG Industries Inc., Pittsburgh. To learn more about coating types or for additional specification guidance, call
(800) 258-6390 or visit www.ppgideascapes.com.