Coatings World - November 2008

FutureCoat! 2008
The theme of this year’s event was
“Globally Responsible Coatings–Getting There From Here”

BY KERRY PIANOFORTE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology (FSCT) held this year’s FutureCoat! Oct. 14-16 at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. The three-day event, “Globally Responsible Coatings–Getting There from Here,” had 554 total participants and 82 exhibitors; the short courses had 114 participants and 323 people attended the FutureCoat! confernce.

Held in conjunction with FutureCoat!, the Technology Short Courses featured half- and one-day courses on a variety of topics geared toward both technical and sales personnel involved in the paint and coatings industry. These short courses included “Overcoming Challenges in Waterborne Coatings,” “Green Materials and Coatings,” “Introduction to Coatings” and “Novel Polymer Developments.”

The focus on students included a student poster session plus a new program—The Student Professional Workshop—designed to help students transition from college life to a career in the coatings industry. The three-hour program featured information on finding the right position in the coatings industry, resume preparation and developing interviewing skills.

FutureCoat! commenced with an introduction from Yasmin Sayed-Sweet, FSCT president. “Over the next two days you will hear a variety of talks,” she said. “I encourage you to attend as many as you can.”

Sayed-Sweet then went on to introduce the keynote speaker, John Mikan, president of Experian Health Sciences, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in regulatory toxicology, occupational health and product stewardship for clients in the U.S., Canada and Europe. His presentation, “Is the Coatings Industry Heading Towards Increased Chemical Regulation in the wake of the EU’s REACH Regulation?” explored the affect REACH will have in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Mikan, the EU REACH regulation places greater responsibility on chemical manufacturers to demonstrate that their products can be used without unacceptable risk to human health and the environment.

His presentation examined the likelihood of REACH-type regulations being adopted in the U.S. and Canada, the timing of such regulations and the implications for the coatings industry.

“The impact of REACH in the U.S. and Canada is that we are going to see greater attention aimed at restricting uses of substances,” said Mikan. “The chemicals industry must demonstrate products can be used safely or not do business in Europe.”

According to Mikan, one of the positive effects of REACH will be that the EU will become a testing ground for new substances which will help to facilitate innovative chemicals.

“I encourage you to pay attention to what is happening in EU,” said Mikan. It’s not a question of if a substance is banned in the EU, will it be restricted in the U.S. It is a question of when.”

Mikan stressed that knowledge and preparation will be key to dealing with inevitable restrictions. “All of you in this room should be looking at chemicals that may be restricted in the future,” he cautioned. “Be prepared. On the formulation front, know the risk profile of your substance and monitor the regulatory status of ingredients. You may have to contribute to product defense and finally, be ready to reformulate when necessary.”

MATTIELLO MEMORIAL LECTURE

FSCT past president Frederick “Frtiz” H. Walker, intellectual asset manger for Air Products and Chemicals, presented the Joseph J. Mattiello Memorial Lecture on Wed. Oct. 15. The invited lecturer commemorates the contributions Mattiello, former president of the FSCT who was instrumental in expanding the application of the sciences in the decorative and protective coatings fields. Walker’s presentation was “Dimethyl Secondary Amine Chain Extenders: A Conceptual Approach to In Situ Generation of Advanced Epoxy Resins for Rapid-Cure, Low-VOC Coatings.”