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       Cold-Spray Plastics Are Amazing! 4009 Evonik Industries recently conducted a comprehensive life cycle analysis of four key adhesive-based road marking material technologies used in the European market: solvent-based coatings, water-based coatings, thermoplastics, and cold plastics. For the cold plastic road marking analysis, Evonik’s DEGAROUTE reactive resin was selected, along with Evonik’s high-solids solvent-based coating adhesives and thermoplastic additives. For water-based coatings, the adhesion assessment was reportedly based on publicly available data on water-based road marking adhesives. Evonik’s study reportedly targeted the German market, where all of the analyzed technologies are used. Various road marking systems were evaluated over a simulated ten-year period, equivalent to the time required to renew a German federal highway with an average traffic volume of approximately 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles per day. A one-kilometer-long road section was considered as the functional unit; each marking consisted of spray-applied lines: two solid lines at the edges and one broken center line 12 cm wide. The study assessed various environmental impact parameters for each marking system, including global warming potential, photochemical ozone formation potential, and ecotoxicological effects on humans, freshwater organisms, and soil organisms. The system evaluation was reportedly based on comparative application scenarios using typical product formulations and empirical data. Key data, such as marking material and glass bead consumption, were obtained from certification test certificates and empirical data from the German Federal Highway Institute (BASt) for the relevant road marking systems. Evonik stated that the study showed that solvent- or water-based systems exhibit significantly lower durability than cold-sprayed plastics, resulting in significantly higher overall material consumption. For example, to achieve a minimum service life of ten years, solvent-based coatings require ten reapplications with the appropriate number of glass beads, while cold-sprayed plastics require only four reapplications. This reportedly allows for more efficient use of marking materials, reducing environmental impact. Hot-sprayed plastics are reportedly durable, but their long service life comes at the cost of higher material consumption per application. In terms of toxicological impact on the environment, no disadvantages were found for using cold-sprayed plastics for road markings compared to hot-sprayed plastics or water-based coatings. Cold-sprayed plastics are reported to be an attractive option for preventing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and reducing the formation of photochemical ozone at ground level. Dr. Alexander Klein, Director of Technical Marketing at Evonik, summarized the study’s findings: “Thanks to their durability, cold-sprayed plastics and thermoplastic systems represent resource-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for road markings in high-traffic environments, while systems with short paint service life are a good option for low-traffic roads.”