Opportunities for bio-based raw materials in coatings

Bio-based polymers have been largely limited to specialised niche applications but new analysis from Lux Research finds that the top markets for bio-based materials are largely the same ones currently dominated by petro-based materials.

"Bio-based material developers must aim for large, addressable markets, among which the biggest are composites and coatings, industrial manufactured intermediates, and packaging,” said Kalib Kersh, Lux Research Analyst and the lead author of the report titled, ‘Bridging the Divide between Demands and Bio-Based Materials’.

"To meet expectations, developers must bring cost parity, offer more bio-based drop-in monomers and close performance gaps on temperature distortion and brittleness, as well as advance bio-based polymers beyond their reputation as merely disposable,” he added.