Coatings World - March 2014

41st Annual Waterborne Symposium

adhered to a substrate, and subjected to a wide range of en-
vironmental conditions. In combination, all these situations
result in different measured in service glass transition values
at different points in time and location. Therefore, in an at-
tempt to understand the world of surface coatings in a realistic
context, we propose that all the various glass transition values
affect performance along with our ability to quantify and pre-
dict the structure-property relationships that deliver protec-
tion, decoration and function in coatings.”
Featured guest speakers were Joe Lichtenhan of Hybrid
Plastics and Steve and Beth MacDaniel of Reactive Surfaces.
Lichtenhan’s presentation, “POSS Surfaces, How They Impact
Biological and Industrial Polymer Coatings,” focused on how
advancements in the performance of polymer-based prod-
ucts has led to a search for new technologies. Accroding to
Lichtenhan, this search has increasingly been focused on smaller
and smaller length scales. The sought after level of control has
progresses from the macro to the micro to the nano.

“It has become axiomatic in the plastics industry to regard
the development of new resins as too capital-intensive, expen-
sive and fraught with risk with regard to ultimate market accep-
tance,” said Lichtenhan. “However, nowhere is tis the search for
new polymeric materials more intense nor the possible rewards
for such efforts greater than in the field s of industrial coatings
and biological surface.”
POSS chemicals used as additives provide a simple tool for
the realization of new physical characteristics in industrial and
biological coatings. Measuring 1. 5 nm in diameter, POSS chemi-
cals provide a tremendous amount of surface area and volume
control when incorporated into formulations. “The control of
surface area and volume in polymers often leads to improved
flow, adhesion and active ingredient carrying capacity of com-
mon resins,” Lichtenhan added.

Steve and Beth MacDaniel jointly presented a lecture inspired by their monthly iPaint column which appears in this magazine. Coatings technology has its own specific sets of intellectual property issues. The MacDaniels offered their insights on the law and how it applies to departing employees, employee privacy expectations, paying lawyer fees to file patents of questionable value and trade secrets being leaked. The presentation ended with a lively question and answer session.

Sidney Lauren Memorial Lecture

The third annual Sidney Lauren Memorial Lecture, “From Evolution to Innovation,” was presented by Christopher Howard of Evonik Corp. His lecture highlighted current and future issues shaping the coatings industry.

“Paints and coatings have long served both beautification
and decorative functions,” said Howard. However, today’s coat-
ing demands are drastically different than our predecessors.
Modern coatings enhance the value of many things from homes
and offices to automobiles, military equipment and marine ves-
sels. We must understand the value proposition that modern
coatings bring forth.”
Howard then went on to detail the new developments and
the key drivers for new technology. Some of these key drivers
are government regulations, cost reduction through lower-cost
materials and more efficient processes, energy and fuel savings,
preservation of the environment and durability and weathering.

Other issues shaping the industry are globalization and consolidation and recruiting and retaining talented people to the paint and coatings industry.

“The coatings industry continues to face challenges both externally and internally, but also has the ability to grasp some real growth opportunity through technology capabilities, global drivers and U.S. economic potential and talented employees,” Howard concluded.

Charles Hegedus of Air Products presented “Specialty Additives for Waterborne Architectural Coatings.” Architectual coatings encompass a wide range of applications and application scenarios, which has resulted in coatings with a variety of

2015 CALL FOR PAPERS

The School of Polymers and High Performance Materials at The University of Southern Mississippi has issued a call for papers for presentation at the 42nd Annual International Waterborne Symposium, February 9-13, 2015 in New Orleans.

Papers should relate to new and emerging technologies related to materials, processes, production, characterization, application and markets in the field of surface coatings. All papers should be original and represent recent advances in coatings science and related disciplines. Title, abstract and author’s names (speaker’s name underlined) should be submitted by mail, fax or e-mail no later than Aug. 15 to School of Polymers and High Performance Materials, The University of Southern Mississippi, Box 10063, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-