“Our Focus is on Collaboration”

Which coating segments are experiencing the fastest growth in demand for bio-based materials?

We believe that packaging coatings, powder coatings, healthcare/medical applications are likely seeing a higher demand for bio-based solutions. Architectural and construction coatings being the largest in total waterborne coatings market size, is also showing strong interest in low-VOC bio-based paints, as bio-based paints offer the potential to reduce environmental impact.

As an upstream supplier of resins, additives and other materials, we want to, alongside our coatings value chain partners, drive adoption of bio-based materials through new product development and collaboration aligned toward common industry goals.

We also rely heavily on our value chain partners to collectively identify new opportunities for these materials – so that we can all invest in the scalability, technology and partnerships needed to meet industry growth.

How do you ensure that your bio-based solutions deliver the same performance as fossil-based alternatives?

Arkema is heavily invested in both research and product development related to resins and additives made from bio-based sources. Thorough internal evaluation, as well as close collaboration with our customers, ensures that all developments meet market requirements.

We have also made significant advancements in our roll-out plan towards the production of more bio-based solutions. In 2024, we announced that our site in Carling, France is now producing ethyl acrylate (a key component of acrylic polymers) sourced exclusively from bioethanol. In addition, we offer high bio-content alkyd emulsions, USDA BioPreferred certified (meth)acrylate monomers, and bio-based paint additives such as HEUR rheology modifiers.

Additionally, our product carbon footprint (PCF) methodology has been validated and certified by TÜV Rheinland according to the ISO 14067:2018 standard.

What steps are you taking to secure reliable, scalable, and certified bio-based and bio-attributed feedstocks?

Arkema is an industry leader in the use of certified feedstocks such as Nordic forest byproducts, castor oils and more to produce solutions – and we are continually looking for reliable suppliers and partners to help us offer these materials.

To support this effort, we are heavily invested in transparency across the value chain, including the processes, methodologies and standards set by organizations such as ISCC+. Annual audits of production facilities – at both Arkema and our coating value chain partners – ensure traceability from the earliest material supplier all the way through to the end users. The goal is for every company involved, through to the end user, to be able to quickly identify the origin and history of every material used.

For the segregated approach, bio-based carbon content is quantified using ASTM D6866 (Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples).

What bio-based innovations do you hope to see at the American Coatings Show 2026?

Our focus is on collaboration. At ACS 2026, we will be looking for bio-based initiatives that span the coatings value chain – and support key industry needs such as reducing energy usage, producing more durable, longer lasting products and further eliminating substances of concern from our industry.

We also understand that the market has changed significantly in the past few years. We will be looking for bio-based initiatives and innovations that address specific needs in high growth market segments. We see tremendous potential in areas such as energy storage, e-mobility and more. If we can meet industry performance and regulatory needs using bio-based materials, that opens new markets for us and our value chain partners.

Events like the American Coatings Show offer us insight into those opportunities and help us to invest in the development and scalability needed to meet emerging market needs.