customers.
Headquartered in
Huangshan, China, Axalta
Huajia Coatings is committed to
building scale and focusing on localizing
its powder coating solutions for Chinese
customers. With six powder coating operations across China, Axalta Huajia
Coatings has increased manufacturing
capacity and product range to meet the
growing demand for high quality powder
coatings for its customers in China. In
2014, Axalta added new capacity at the
Qingpu manufacturing center to meet the
rapid growth of the China powder coatings market.
Mike Cash, senior vice president and
president of Axalta’s global Industrial
Coatings business, said, “Our China op-
eration is critical to the growth of our
global business. Demand for powder
coatings in China is booming and Axalta
Huajia Coatings is ready for the chal-
lenge. Combining our global technology
and local expertise, we will further en-
hance our market leader position in the
powder coatings industry in China.”
Axalta is focusing on adding new in-
novative products to meet the growing
demand for high quality powder coating
solutions. The recently launched Alesta
ZeroZinc, a zinc and heavy metal-free
powder primer formulation is designed
for customers who demand high perfor-
mance and an environmentally responsi-
ble solution combined with the ability to
help generate operational savings due to
lower equipment maintenance costs.
BASF’s XSpark Automotive
Coating Gets Materialica
Design + Technology Silver
Award 2014
BASF’s Coatings division has received
the Materialica Design + Technology
Silver Award 2014 in the “Surface &
Technology” category for its XSpark
automotive coating. The distinction was
awarded during the 17th International
Trade Fair for Materials Applications,
Surface Technology, and Product
Engineering (Materialica) in Munich,
Germany. The award is granted each year
by MunichExpo Veranstaltungs GmbH.
The Materialica Design + Technology
Award is an internationally recognized
distinction for innovations in the area
of material development and applica-
tion. “We are very pleased to have been
selected for the award, since it highlights
our high level of competency at the in-
terface between design and technology,”
said Stephan Schwarte, head of Basecoat
Pigments/Dispersions & Color Design
Lab at BASF’s Coatings division.
The award recognizes product and
technology developments from all sectors
that apply engineering and design competence equally. Meeting this challenge
successfully fulfills the high standards
of BASF’s designers: “We drive innovations forward by using sophisticated
design technologies and closely collaborating with the development labs to create new design ranges,” explained Mark
Gutjahr, head of Design Europe at BASF’s
Coatings division.
AkzoNobel Details Financial
Benefits of Carbon Credits
Methodology
Two ship owners are due to be awarded
a combined total of almost $500,000
when the first claims resulting from a new
carbon credits methodology developed
by AkzoNobel and The Gold Standard
Foundation are finalized next year. The
scheme allows ships to generate income
in the form of carbon credits, which are
earned by reducing CO2 emissions. A total of 17 vessels feature in the first two
claims, while 50 further vessels are expected to join the scheme by the end of
the year.
The landmark methodology is based
on ship owners converting existing vessels from a biocidal antifouling system
to a premium, biocide-free advanced
hull coating such as Intersleek, part of
AkzoNobel’s International marine coatings product line.
“With ship owners and operators under increasing pressure to drive efficiencies and improve sustainability, the ability
of carbon credits to turn energy efficiency
into bottom line benefits is a timely and
significant step forward,” said Trevor
Solomon, Intersleek business manager at
AkzoNobel’s Marine Coatings business.
“Based on the 100 eligible ships
already converted from a biocidal anti-
fouling to Intersleek technology, there is
an estimated $2.8 million worth of car-
bon credits potentially available to ship
owners and operators.”
As well as being able to sell the carbon
credits, the scheme also offers ship own-
ers the option of passing them on to other
stakeholders, such as cargo owners, to
offset their emissions. They can alterna-
tively be used to voluntarily offset other
sources of CO2 emissions.
“We are constantly looking for less
traditional innovations and this exciting
project - which offers sustainability benefits to customers, as well as reducing shipping emissions - is a perfect example of
our Planet Possible approach to sustainability,” said Conrad Keijzer, AkzoNobel’s
Executive Committee member responsible for Performance Coatings.
Adrian Rimmer, CEO of The Gold
Standard Foundation, added: “This pioneering initiative is designed to help increase the uptake of clean technologies
in the international shipping industry.
We are following its progress with great
interest.”
PaintSolutions, llc. Acquires
the Synkoloid Brands
PaintSolutions, llc, Commerce, California,
a division of inksolutions, llc. Elk Grove
Village, Illinois, has acquired Synkoloid
patch and repair product line from The
Muralo Paint Company. Muralo Paints
was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Bayonne, New Jersey.
PaintSolutions is a California com-
pany, which makes and distributes the
Muralo: Spackle products, Quick-Tred
Floor & Patio Paint, Latex Fire Retardant,
and Vogue Theatre Paints.
PaintSolutions will continue to manu-
facture and sell the Muralo line west of
the Rockies, in Canada and Mexico.
PaintSolutions will manufacture and
market the Synkoloid patch and repair
paste product line internationally.
PaintSolutions manufactures and sells
a line of white latex paint.
PaintSolutions has a complete line of
universal colorants made and packaged
in convenient 16 oz. squeeze bottles, allowing the professional to match a full
