Coatings World - August 2009

Fresh Paint

AKZONOBEL OPENS POWDER COATINGS TECH. CENTER IN CHINA AkzoNobel inaugurated its Powder Coatings Technology Centre in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. This R&D center has a state-of-the-art laboratory and will have an initial team of 20 scientists and technicians organized in centers of expertise for the strategic market sectors. The new facility is located at the existing AkzoNobel powder coatings manufacturing site in Ningbo. All the centers of expertise—automotive, architectural, furniture, domestic appliance, IT and general industrial—and their corresponding marketing teams will be located at the center. AkzoNobel, owner of the brands Interpon and Resicoat, is the world’s largest manufacturer of powder coatings.

DUPONT PERFORMANCE COATINGS PARTNERS WITH AMERICAN HONDA BODY SHOP RECOGNITION PROGRAM DuPont Performance Coatings has formed an agreement with American Honda Motor Company, Inc., and its new Body Shop Recognition Program. The program is an updated version of the previous Honda and Acura programs. The complete program requirements say body shops must be sponsored by a Honda or Acura dealer that is a participant in American Honda’s Collision Select program; body shops can be a dealer-owned or independent shop; body shops must adopt the OEConnection Collision Link software and conduct a minimum of one transaction per week through the Collision Link system within the first 30 days. The Collision Link software is free to body shops from participating dealers; and body shops must be recognized as a participant in the DuPont Performance Alliance.

idential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards winners on June 22, recognizing research that can make significant contributions to pollution prevention. Judging is by an independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society and its ACS Green Chemistry Institute. The awards are given in five categories. Two of the 2009 winners —the Academic Award and Designing Greener Chemicals award—are related to paints and coatings. Here is the complete list of winners along with a description of the research involved The Academic Award was presented to Professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Hazardous chemicals are often required in the manufacture of important polymers such as lubricants, adhesives and coatings. Matyjaszewski developed an alternative process called “Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization” for manufacturing polymers. The pro-

cess uses chemicals that are environmentally friendly, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as a reducing agent, and requires less catalyst. The process has been licensed to manufacturers throughout the world.

The Designing Greener Chemicals Award was given to Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH, jointly with Cook Composites and Polymers Company, North Kansas City, MO for Chempol MPS Resins and Sefose Sucrose Esters Enable High-Performance Low-VOC Alkyd Paints and Coatings. Conventional oil-based “alkyd” paints provide durable, high-gloss coatings but use hazardous solvents. Procter & Gamble and Cook Composites and Polymers are developing innovative Chempol MPS paint formulations using bio-based Sefose oils to replace petroleum-based solvents. Sefose oils, made from sugar and vegetable oil, enable new high-performance alkyd paints with less than half the solvent. C W

Financial News

H.B. FULLER’S REVENUE DOWN 16% IN SECOND QUARTER H.B. Fuller has reported financial results for the second quarter that ended May 30, 2009. The global economic recession continued to negatively impact the company’s financial performance versus the prior year. Although gross margin recovered during the second quarter, primarily due to lower raw material costs, the effect of lower volumes led to a decline in gross profit dollars of $5.8 million year-over-year. Net income for the second quarter of 2009 was $17.6 million versus $21.4 million in last year’s second quarter. Net revenue for the second quarter of 2009 was $299.2 million, down 16.1% versus the second quarter of 2008. Net income for the first half of 2009 was $23.7 million versus $39.6 million in the first half of last year. Net revenue for the first half of 2009 was $577.8 million, down 15 versus the first half of 2008.

PPG 2Q EARNINGS DOWN YEAR-OVER-YEAR PPG reported that its second-quarter net income was down year-over-year, but improved from the first quarter’s loss. Net income for the paint and coatings maker was $146 million, or 89 cents per share, compared with $250 million, or $1.51 per share, in the year-ago quarter. Net sales for the second quarter were $3.12 billion, compared to $4.47 billion in the second quarter of 2008.