Consumers around the world are being progressively drawn to low-gloss and matt finishes, believing these finishes can offer a chic, modern-feel aesthetic. To address this growing demand in the floor coatings market, DSM developed a truly ground-breaking new resin, Decovery(r) SP-2022 XP.

Low-gloss and matt finishes may be in fashion, but low functional quality and high environmental impacts are certainly out of it. Indeed, with too many commercially available matt floor coatings delivering poor performance, as well as being difficult to process and requiring labor-intensive formulations, the Dutch company Royal DSM decided to step in.

A journey to true innovation Specifically, DSM Resins & Functional Materials began developing a self-matting coating resin for wood and seamless flooring that would make formulations quicker and easier, while also outperforming conventional coatings on the functional, aesthetic and environmental performance. In order to optimize the development process, DSM kept market demands top of mind at all times, and involved customers and floor coating applicators in the testing of the self-matting resin prototypes. The final SP-2022 XP resin was launched in March 2019, and - so far - is meeting the needs of stakeholders across the value chain.

Reducing labor intensity - fast

So, what does Decovery^® SP-2022 XP do for the key stakeholder group of formulators, specifically? Above all, the unique proprietary technology behind the Decovery^® SP-2022 XP resin facilitates coating systems that are quick and easy to formulate, and highly stable within cans, driving the practicality of the overall coating process. In particular, the self-matting Decovery^® SP-2022 XP resin enables coating formulations without supplementary matting agents and additional process steps. This leads to fewer operational and formulating mistakes, as well as up to one-hour time savings in operations compared to other commercial alternatives.

Making life easier for applicators Ultimately, though, it is the end performance and usability of the product that will enable consumer demand and drive market uptake. The avoidance of matting agents enabled by Decovery^® SP-2022 XP delivers key benefits here. In particular, the qualities of this resin ensure that the lowest gloss lacquer available leaves no roller or lapping marks, helps avoid polishing issues, and enables spot repairs, unlike many of the commercially available alternatives. Furthermore, Decovery^® SP-2022 XP is highly chemical-, mechanical- and stain-resistant.

Enabling a sustainable future In addition to delivering these key functional and aesthetic advantages, DSM's unique resin also opens up a new horizon in terms of sustainability and environmental friendliness. Leveraging the technology of DSM's Decovery^® platform, SP-2022 XP contains 30% bio-based content, and is low in VOCs (less than 5%) and odor. This makes it a healthier and more sustainable alternative to many of the commercially available coating resins around the world, as well as compliant with a wide range of ecolabels and the strictest environmental regulation.

To find out more about DSM's Decovery^® SP-2022 XP, or to request samples of this unique resin, please go to www.dsm.com/sp2022.