PFAS: “This creates a clear mandate for the industry: Transition now, not later”

How do you see the evolving regulatory landscape in the United States and Europe shaping the urgency for PFAS-free solutions in the coatings industry?

Lane Lundeby: Both in the United States and Europe, regulatory pressure on PFAS is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. Europe is advancing broad restrictions that will significantly limit, or even phase out PFAS usage in coatings, while U.S. agencies are tightening compliance and monitoring requirements. This creates a clear mandate for the industry: transition now, not later. At Indovinya, the specialty chemicals and surfactants division of Indorama Ventures, we anticipated this shift early. PFAS-free surfactant innovation has been a strategic priority, ensuring our customers have high-performance, regulation-ready solutions that help them navigate this transition with confidence.

From a practical standpoint, how easily can coating manufacturers integrate these PFAS-free surfactants into existing production lines without major reformulation efforts?

Lundeby: Our “Oxitive” line offers PFAS-free surfactant solutions that are developed to integrate smoothly into most existing formulations, typically requiring only minor adjustments. Although a one-to-one replacement is not always feasible, since performance attributes such as gloss, wetting, or foam control may require fine-tuning, manufacturers do not need to reinvent their production processes. Our approach combines formulation expertise with predictive tools to design alternatives that minimize disruption and maintain consistency. The goal is to enable a transition that is technically robust, operationally efficient, and commercially viable.

How can simulation-driven development help smaller companies with limited R&D resources keep pace with regulatory changes?

Lundeby: Simulation-driven development is a powerful equalizer. Through computational modeling of critical parameters, such as surface tension behavior, resin compatibility, and adsorption mechanisms, developers can narrow down promising candidates before entering the lab. This reduces cost, time, and experimental cycles. While full paint system simulation remains complex due to the multifactorial nature of coatings, building these predictive capabilities today is essential for future readiness. Simulation should complement, not replace, laboratory validation, helping companies streamline development, reduce trial-and-error, and accelerate innovation. As regulatory timelines tighten, digital tools become strategic assets for agility and long-term competitiveness.

Beyond surfactants, do you see this simulation-based approach being ­applied to other additive classes in coating formulations? Absolutely. We already apply simulation to optimize pigment dispersants by modeling inter­actions at the pigment surface, and the same methodology extends naturally to additives such as defoamers, wetting agents, coalescents, and even aspects of resin design. Any component with structure performance relationships that can be mathematically modeled benefits from this approach. As simulation tools become more accessible and user-friendly, we expect them to become standard practice across the coatings ­value chain ­supporting faster development, more precise targeting of performance attributes, and greater confidence in meeting evolving ­regulatory ­requirements and sustainability demands.

Event tip

At the EC Conference PFAS-free coatings on 5 November 2026 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, you will have the chance to gain in-depth insights and actively exchange ideas with leading experts from science and industry. We will not only look at the alternatives to PFAS that are already available and their properties, but also take a closer look at the materials themselves and the evolving global regulatory landscape.

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