Coatings World - May 2011

The Performance Coatings business of The Lubrizol Corpo-
ration showcased its sustainable solutions for wood, OEM metal,
masonry and graphic arts applications with its Solsperse, Per-
max and Carboset brands. To achieve improved color develop-
ment and pigment stabilization, Lubrizol offers Solsperse
hyperdispersants. For APEO-free corrosion resistant solutions
for metal and automotive applications, Lubrizol offers Permax
polymers polyvinylidene chloride acrylic emulsions. And the Car-
boset brand provides acrylic emulsions that offer a variety of per-
formance attributes for wood, metal and cementitious substrates.
Lubrizol Performance Coatings also launched two new polyeth-
ylene wax compounds at the show: LubriPrint SF 285 and 300.

Coatings experts from around the world met at the European Coatings Congress

Included 648 participants from 40 countries with some 150 papers in 25 sessions.

The European Coatings congress opened the day before the exhibition on Monday March 28, 2011, with the keynote lecture by Prof. Matthias Beller from Rostock University in Germany. The winner of the 1st Sustainable Chemistry Award showed that sustainability in chemical production is the key technology of the 21st century with his presentation titled, “Sustainable Chemistry: A Key Technology for the 21st Century”.

With an expertise in catalysis, Beller noted that sustainability is the greatest challenge of the 21st Century. Despite numerous important methodological advancements in all areas of chemistry, the industrial production of chemicals can be improved. He said currently more than 80 percent of all products in the chemical industry are made via catalysis. In this regard, the development of more efficient catalysts constitutes a key factor for achieving a sustainable production of all kinds of chemicals.

Beller explained that recently developed molecular-defined, as well as nanostructured catalysts, enable chemists to perform their organic syntheses more selectively and with improved economics. In addition, he touched upon the need for drastically improved catalysts for challenging “dream reactions” as well as the importance of chemistry for environmentally benign energy technologies.

Sustainability was also the central issue of the second keynote lecture by Dr. Erik Risberg, Jotun, Norway. He discussed ways to improve sustainability in the coatings industry. He noted important aspects related to sustainability including the choice of raw materials and their production, the manufacturing of the product itself, logistics throughout the supply chain, protection for the end user, the removal process and waste treatment.

The European Coatings Award for the best Conference Paper was also presented on the first day of the European Coatings Congress to Dr. Marc Entenmann’s team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation. The paper entitled, “Corrosion Protection with Nanoscale Anticorrosive Pigments in Coatings,” describes the effects of reducing the particle size of corrosion protection pigments. The jury based its decision on the outstanding way in which the paper shows an approach to solving one of the industry’s biggest and most cost-intensive problems: the corrosion of steel. The paper was co-authored by Heinz Greisiger, Roman Maurer and Thadeus Schauer.

Another highlight of the conference occurred when Dr. Sonja Schulte, editor in chief, science and technology, for the European Coatings Journal, presented results of a delegate survey that looked at future trends in the paint and coatings industry. Waterborne technology was the clear leader when delegates were asked which technologies are the most important for future development. Functional/smart coatings came in second, followed by powder, high solids and UV/EB curing technology. Market demands was the number-one driver of R&D activities, followed by care/responsibility for society, raw material prices and legislation. Delegates also answered that binders/resins are the raw material class that will lead the effort to develop renewable products, followed by additives, fillers and pigments.

European Coatings Award winner Dr. Marc Entenmann, Fraunhofer Instiut for Manufacturing Engineering ans Automation together with Dr. Sonja Schulte, managing editor, European Coatings Journal.