Fresh Paint
New coatings made from whey protein
Natural Poly Whey Coatings cure twice
as hard as conventional water-based
polyurethane and exceed nation’s
strictest VOC standard.
Vermont Natural Coatings has introduced new high-performance floor
and furniture finish made from natural whey protein. In development
since 2001 and in collaboration with
the University of Vermont, Vermont
Natural Coatings PolyWhey is a
high-performance natural finish that
offers a low VOC alternative to traditional polyurethane.
PolyWhey is a professional finish—
available in floor or furniture formulations—that has reduced VOC levels to
less than 180 grams per liter. The
nation’s toughest indoor air quality
standard is California’s 250 grams per
liter. Additionally, the recycled component percentage and VOC content
match or beat LEED qualifying levels,
according to the company.
Vermont Natural Coatings’ PolyWhey gets its name and performance
from whey protein, a renewable
resource rescued from the waste
stream that helps the finish improve
building air quality without compromising quality. It offers twice the cured
hardness and greater per-gallon
square footage coverage of typical
water-based finishes, the company
said. Contractors who have worked
with PolyWhey have universally
praised the quality of the finish, its
workability, and the absence of fumes
during application and curing.
“With PolyWhey, we are able to
combine Vermont’s tradition for premium products with a manufacturing process based on environmental
principals to produce a product
whose performance is second to none
in its class,” said Vermont Natural
Coatings’ founder and president,
Andrew Meyer. “With increased
attention being paid to the health
effects of VOCs and to sustainable
manufacturing processes, we believe
PolyWhey can serve as a model for
the coating industry nationally.”
Vermont Natural Coatings produces
all of its floor and furniture finishes in
Hardwick, VT and uses local resources
whenever possible. Learn more at
www.vermontnaturalcoatings.com.
BASF, YASAR SIGN AGREEMENT
BASF has signed an agreement with
Turkish company Yasar to acquire
Yasar’s shares in the 50-50 joint venture Yasar BASF Automotive Coatings
Ltd., which markets automotive OEM
and refinish coatings in Turkey. The
move is part of BASF plans to
strengthen its position among international automotive manufacturers
and suppliers in the Turkish market.
In 2007, the joint venture posted sales
of approximately € 45 million and had
130 employees.
“The acquisition of Yasar’s shares in
this joint venture is a long-term investment in our Turkish operations,” said
Jürgen Barwich, head of BASF’s business center Turkey. “We are thus
strengthening our market position in
the Turkish automotive market, which
has doubled production in the past ten
years and which is growing at more
than ten percent per year.”
BASF will move the headquarters of
the former joint venture from Izmir to
Istanbul-Kavacik by the end of the
year. In Istanbul-Dudullu, BASF operates a customer-training center for
refinish coatings. In addition, BASF is
installing color mixing units and a
color laboratory at its site in Gebze-Dilovasi near Istanbul.
PPG EXPANDS
PARTNERSHIP WITH MEILLER
PPG has been named the coatings supplier for the new Meiller-Dogus plant
located in Sakarya, Turkey, which will
produce tippers and trailers for the
heavy-duty truck (HDT) market.
