Coatings World - October 2011

support, places us in a very good and com-
petitive position for our brand portfolio
now from coast to coast.”
This transaction will allow Quebec-
based Peinture Laurentide to maintain a
competitive edge in the market, supported
by technological expertise on an interna-
tional level. “The future looks promising
for Peinture Laurentide, an innovative
company that has been operating in the
architectural coatings business for more
than 55 years by manufacturing products
renowned for their high quality,” said
André Buisson, president and COO of So-
ciété Laurentide.

AkzoNobel Powder Coatings driving sustainable
automotive topcoat solutions

AkzoNobel’s Interpon Powder Coatings become the first full body monocoat powder coating to be used on a passenger vehicle in Europe.

Showcased at the Cannes Surcar 2011 Congress, the Citroën DS4 is the first ever passenger vehicle in Europe to be exhibited using matt black textured powder coatings on the car body.

After initial trials with PSA Peugeot Citroën, the parent company of the Citroën DS4, a model was produced using Interpon A 5000. PSA Peugeot Citroën decided to showcase the car and its new coating system in Cannes.

“This is a great step forward for powder coatings in the automo-
tive arena and one we are particularly proud of,” said Marie Cécile
Dekker, global automotive marketing manager, AkzoNobel Automotive
and Aerospace Coatings (AAC). “Historically powder coatings have
been primarily used on the components of the vehicle, including the
wheel and trim areas, providing aesthetic value and the high perform-
ance attributes required by the auto industry. We are now able to offer
exciting new finishes, like the matt black texture, that are innovative
and provide a unique and exciting charac-
ter change that enhances the design fea-
tures of the auto body. This type of design
concept really is pushing the boundaries
and inspiring design teams in the automo-
tive world to think unconventionally.”
Powder coatings as a body coating al-
ternative mark the start of a new era for
automotive manufacturers who wish to re-
duce both their carbon footprint and their
costs without compromising on technical
quality or performance. Interpon automo-
tive coatings are offering the automotive
industry a sustainable alternative to liquid
paints.

The powder mono coat system reduces the number of process steps and enables a significant reduction in energy consumption.

“This is not the first time powder coatings have been used as automotive top- The Citroën DS4.

coats. We have been coating commercial and passenger vehicles for
many years and have made steady advances,” said AkzoNobel AAC’s
Kevin Hales. “A lot of hard work has gone into refining the product
and application techniques, working closely with PSA Peugeot Citroën
to ensure their incredibly high quality demands are met and the coat-
ing is suitable for the European passenger vehicle market.”
PSA Peugeot Citroën has considerable experience in powder coat-
ing, especially for primer, which has been used at its Mulhouse factory
since 2003. “This project was very exciting because it’s not only a prac-
tical response to customer expectations for more innovative effects,
but also it’s obtained in the most simple way we can imagine, which
was to apply a mono coat paint directly on e-coat with a fully auto-
matic process,” said Antoine Vieu, PSA Peugeot Citroën expert for top-
coat materials.

PSA Peugeot Citroën not only wanted a powder coating for this significant new finish, they also required a matching finish for the plastic body panels.

“Our challenge was to provide a high quality aesthetic match not only for color but also in surface structure,” said Regis Garcia of AkzoNobel Automotive and Aerospace Coatings. “The Citroën DS4 is evidence that AkzoNobel AAC rose to this challenge.”