The Evolution of Waterborne Acrylic Protective Coatings

Abstract Protective coatings based on waterborne acrylic technology have been used in the design, construction and maintenance of commercial and industrial structures for over four decades, and the types of applications where they are used, their formulation, and performance have evolved during that time period. Driven by the ability to meet environmental regulations, their ease of use, and improvements in performance, the utilization of waterborne acrylics has also grown over the years. This paper will take a look both backward and forward in time to see how far waterborne acrylics have advanced, the challenges overcome and remaining to be conquered, and some predictions on where the technology is headed. This objective will be accomplished through a retrospective examination of lab and field studies over steel, concrete and other substrates to demonstrate how the evolution of raw materials and formulations have led to improved performance and environmental profiles in current state-of-the-art products, as well as a discussion of new developments and what they mean for the future of waterborne acrylic protective coatings.