Coatings industry energy costs

The investment cost, operating and maintenance costs, and energy costs for the application of control technologies to the wastewater of the coil coating industry have been analyzed. These costs were developed to reflect the practical application of technologies in this industry. A detailed presentation of the cost methodology and cost data is available in the literature.1-19... 

Pressures on the Coatings Industry Raw Materials and Finished Products Energy Costs Environmental Control U.S. Coatings Suppliers... 

The coatings industry, like many others, has been ravaged since 1973 by sharp rises in the costs of materials used in the manufacture of products. Both producers and coatings customers have had to make major adjustments to accommodate the escalating costs (and frequent lack of availability) of the fuels and energy they require for processing. In addition, major expenditures have been made for equipment and systems to control environmental emissions and to minimize worker exposure to toxic materials. 

Energy Costs. Figure 5 shows 1972-1980 price indices for U.S. purchases of hydrocarbon feedstocks and of fuels and electric power. Note that hydrocarbon feedstock prices have increased 12-fold and that fuel and electric power prices have gone up by a factor of 6 since 1972 with devastating effects on U.S. industry, including the coatings industry. As stated earlier, fuel price rises may be abating. 

Industrial coatings are based on polymers much more diverse than those used in trade paints. Their trend toward water-based polymers is much slower because of a lower emotional factor and a higher product liability from hasty change. Nevertheless, the mounting prices of petrochemicals and of methane and alternate energy costs of curing films rapidly in a finishing line do imply selective trends toward water-... 

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