Guiding the standard to lead the Green Responsibility—Handai Chemical Deeply Engaged in the Development of Waterborne Coating Standards, Driving the Industry’s Low-Carbon Transformation nationwide

Against the backdrop of the country’s advancing “dual carbon” strategy and continuously tightening industrial environmental policies, waterborne coatings, with their core advantages of low emissions, high environmental performance and high effectiveness, have become the primary direction for the transformation and upgrading of traditional solvent-based coatings. They also represent a critical pathway for China’s industrial coatings sector to achieve green and low-carbon development. Shanghai Handai Chemical Co., Ltd., a high-tech enterprise focused on the R&D, production and market promotion of waterborne epoxy resins and matching curing agents, has always upheld the corporate mission of “Innovation for a Better life.” Adhering to a development philosophy rooted in technological strength and standards taking the lead, the company is deeply involved in the formulation and revision of multiple core national and industry standards. With solid R&D capabilities, it is accelerating the “solvent-to-water” shift in the coatings industry and, with a strong sense of corporate responsibility, supporting the country’s green, low-carbon and high-quality development.

I. Leading the Formulation of the Group Standard “Waterborne Epoxy Resin for Coatings,” Filling a Gap in Domestic Industry Specifications

In July 2025, the group standard Waterborne Epoxy Resin for Coatings, proposed and managed by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation(CPCIF), was officially released for public comment. The standard was successfully included in the First Batch of 2024 Group Standard Project Plan of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (Zhongshihualian Zhifa [2024] No. 94). Handai Chemical serves as the core leading and main drafting unit for this standard.

Waterborne epoxy resin is the core film-forming base material for waterborne industrial coating systems. Its product purity, physical and chemical properties, and environmental indicators directly determine the adhesion, corrosion resistance, weatherability and VOC emission levels of downstream coating products. For a long time, China lacked a unified, authoritative and industry-adapted technical specification for waterborne epoxy resins, leading to inconsistent product quality and no uniform basis for downstream application selection. The specific standard led by Handai Chemical comprehensively fills the technical standard gap for waterborne epoxy resin products used in coatings in China, providing a scientific, unified and actionable technical benchmark for product R&D, production quality control, market acceptance and engineering applications for both upstream and downstream enterprises. As of now, the standard has smoothly entered the final approval stage and will soon be officially issued and implemented.

II. Deep Participation in the National Standard for Low-VOC Epoxy Coatings, with the Project Recognized as a National Demonstration

In the field of high-end environmentally friendly coating standard system construction, Handai Chemical also possesses industry-leading influence and technical authority. As a core drafting unit, the company fully participated in the formulation of the Technical Requirements for Low-VOC High/Ultra-High Solids and Solvent-Free Epoxy Coatings (Standard No.: T/CNCIA 01005-2022), issued by the China National Coatings Industry Association. The standard was officially released in August 2022 and fully implemented in October of the same year. Thanks to its technological advancement, industry applicability and international alignment, it was successfully selected as a 2023 Group Standard Application Demonstration Project by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, making it one of the few coatings industry group standards to receive national-level official recognition.

This standard is the first specific standard for low-VOC epoxy coatings to be simultaneously released in both Chinese and English. It not only meets domestic industrial upgrading needs but also aligns with international trade and technical exchange rules, providing authoritative guidance for the technological iteration, product upgrading and export access of high-solids and solvent-free epoxy coatings. Handai Chemical’s deep participation and technical support fully demonstrate the company’s technical expertise, industry recognition and commitment to social responsibility in the field of low-VOC environmentally friendly epoxy materials.

III. Leading the Ongoing Research on the Specific Standard for Waterborne Epoxy Curing Agents, Completing the Full-Chain Standard System

To further address standard gaps in waterborne epoxy materials and build a complete, closed-loop, high-end application-oriented standard system for waterborne epoxy raw materials, Handai Chemical is fully leading the drafting, demonstration and compilation of the group standard Waterborne Epoxy Curing Agent for Coatings. This standard has been officially approved and initiated by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, with the entire compilation process planned to be completed and the standard released by the end of 2026.

Waterborne epoxy curing agents are the core key raw materials used in conjunction with waterborne epoxy resins, and their performance directly impacts the curing efficiency, mechanical strength, anti-corrosion properties and environmental compliance of the coating. The formulation of this specific standard will form a dual support and systematic complement with the Waterborne Epoxy Resin for Coatings standard that has already completed approval, thoroughly standardizing the technical thresholds, quality grading and testing methods for domestic waterborne epoxy curing agent products. This will drive the waterborne epoxy core raw material industry in China toward greater standardization, higher-end development, localization and green transformation, and break the reliance on foreign products in high-end fields.

IV. Upholding Green and Sustainable Development, Winning International Authoritative Certification and Demonstrating Global Competitiveness

While deeply cultivating the domestic standard system, Handai Chemical has always integrated sustainable development into its entire business operation process, establishing a full-chain environmental management system covering R&D, production, supply chain and management. With outstanding green governance performance, the company has won the EcoVadis Bronze Medal, an authoritative international sustainability rating. Its rating score improved significantly compared to the previous year, placing its comprehensive strength among the top 35% of global chemical industry peers.

The EcoVadis certification is the most widely recognized and applied corporate social responsibility and sustainable development evaluation standard in the global supply chain system, and it is also a rigid entry threshold for many multinational enterprises and foreign brands screening core suppliers. Obtaining this certification marks that Handai Chemical’s environmental management, social responsibility and corporate governance are fully aligned with international standards, and it also solidifies the qualification foundation for expanding global markets and serving international high-end clients.

The company’s core R&D and management team members all come from leading global chemical enterprises and possess decades of technical expertise and industrial operation experience in the epoxy materials field. Over the years, Handai Chemical has consistently driven green transformation through independent innovation. From core raw material R&D to industry standard setting, from deep cultivation in the domestic market to international qualification certification, it has steadily grown into a benchmark and leading enterprise in China’s waterborne coating raw materials sector — one with core technology, industry influence and a strong sense of social responsibility.

Looking Ahead

Standards are the “common language” of industry development, the technical cornerstone for industrial upgrading, and a true embodiment of a company’s core competitiveness. In the future, Handai Chemical will continue to uphold its original mission of “Innovation for a Better Life,” persistently delve into the field of waterborne environmentally friendly epoxy materials, and join hands with industry associations, upstream and downstream partners, and research institutes to lead and participate in the development of more national and industry standards related to green coatings and low-VOC new materials.

With higher-standard technological R&D, stricter environmental controls and a more pragmatic sense of industrial responsibility, the company will continuously promote the low-carbon transformation and high-quality development of the coatings industry, and contribute Handai’s technology, solutions and strength to the realization of the national “dual carbon” goals and the building of a Beautiful China.