The surface finishing industry is at a pivotal moment, where concerns over the environmental and health impacts of some legacy chemistries are ushering in stricter regulations and pushing manufacturers to adopt safer alternatives. At the same time, the industry is poised for substantial growth over the next year and beyond, driven by strong automotive and electronics markets and the development of safer and more sustainable chemistries.
At Seacole, we’re confident surface finishers will rise to the challenge this year brings. We’re here to help you adapt your processes to meet regulatory guidelines and still deliver an outstanding product with our cutting-edge surface finishing chemistries. Here is what we predict will happen in surface finishing over the next year.
A Year of Growth for Surface Finishing
Increased demand, especially in the automotive sector, will contribute to a year of growth in the surface finishing industry. Automotive manufacturing in the United States and abroad will increase demand for chemistries that prevent corrosion, add reflective coatings, and improve part appearance.
Globally, the metal finishing chemical market is valued at $13.52 billion and is expected to grow by approximately 4.5 percent in 2025. At Seacole, we’re looking forward to consulting with our automotive and other surface finishing customers to find the appropriate chemistries for their process as their business grows.
Moving Away from PFAS and Other Forever Chemicals
The Seacole team predicts surface finishing manufacturers will continue decrease and eliminate PFAS, PFOS, PFOA, and other forever chemicals from their processes due to regulatory pressure and consumer demand. Similar substances will be under scrutiny in the near future, too.
If you’re looking for replacements for current chemistries that contain PFAS or other forever chemicals, our technical team can recommend alternatives for you to consider. Our customers are having success transitioning from forever chemicals to fluorinated hydrocarbon solvents. Our team can provide custom recommendations to you based on your needs.
Replacement Chemistries for Chromium and Conversion Coatings
This year, we expect more customers to seek sustainable replacement chemistries for chromium and conversion coatings that contain hexavalent chromium. When mismanaged, hexavalent chromium compounds have been found to present significant health and safety risks to workers and the environment. Manufacturers will seek safer, healthier alternatives to protect their workforce and lower their risk this year.
Seacole carriers a wide variety of conversion coating products and alternatives to chemistries containing chromium. Our technical team will work with you to understand your process and find a safer, more effective solution for you.
Safer Cleaners and Solvents
Along the same lines, we predict our customers will continue to seek safer cleaners and solvents for their surface finishing processes this year. The cleaning process often relies on powerful acids and solvents to prepare a part for finishing. Due to wastewater regulations, manufacturers may need to find alternatives to current solutions, such as water-based cleaners or products that are phosphate- and silicate-free.
Our surface finishing product catalog includes water-based cleaners as well as phosphate-free and silicate-free treatments. We can recommend safer alternatives for your process that will help make your cleaning and wastewater treatment processes safer, more efficient, and more affordable.
Increased Regulatory Guidelines
It will come as no surprise that stricter regulatory guidelines, especially those targeting forever chemicals, chromium, and solvents, are driving many manufacturers to seek replacements for these chemistries. Generally, the Seacole team expects to see tighter restrictions on the types of chemicals used in surface finishing processes and stricter guidelines for wastewater treatment.
We anticipate surface finishers will experience business impacts from these regulations as they make the switch to safer and more environmentally friendly chemistries. The Seacole experts understand the pressure strict regulatory guidelines put on your process and your budget and will work with you to uncover solutions that are operationally effective as well as cost effective. Despite business impacts from increased regulatory demands and investment in more sustainable, safer alternatives to current chemistries, the surface finishing market is expected to grow this year. Seacole’s diverse surface finishing product line and talented technical team can help you make the switch to safer, more effective chemistries while staying compliant with stricter regulations. Reach out to a member of our team today for expert support.
