FEBRUARY 2011 3

F O C U S O N P O W D E R C O A T I N G S

Ferro buys Egyptian productionplant

Ferro Corporation has completedthe acquisition of a ceramiccoatings plant from PharaohsCeramic Group. The unit inFayoum, Egypt will supply theMiddle East and N Africa. Ferroplans an expansion of the facility.

Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 20 Dec 2010, (533),4 (in French)

PPG to pay $3 M in fines for USexport violations

PPG Paints Trading Shanghai, aChinese subsidiary of US paintsand coatings company PPGIndustries, will pay $3 M in finesto settle charges of violating USexport-control regulations byallegedly exporting paint in 2006to the Pakistan Atomic EnergyCommission for the constructionof a nuclear power plant. Thecompany agreed to the settlementwith the US Department ofJustice and the US Department ofCommerce’s Bureau of Industryand Security. The subsidiary willalso serve corporate probation forfive years.

ICIS Chemical Business, 3 Jan 2011,(Website: http://icischemicalbusiness.com)

Avantium pilot plant for furanicsfor green materials

Avantium has started constructionof a pilot plant for makingfuranics, under the brand nameYXY, on the Chemelot site,Geleen, Netherlands. Thefuranics, made fromcarbohydrates, are to be used tomake green materials and fuels.The plant should start up in 1Q2011. The company iscooperating with NatureWorks, asubsidiary of Cargill, and withTeijin Aramid using the YXYbuilding blocks to developmaterials for the production of:bottles for water and soft drinks;carpets; textiles; high performancetextiles; plasticizers; resins; paints;and varnishes. The plant waspartly financed with a €1 M

government subsidy from theLandbouw en Agentschap,Netherlands, and expects about€15 M of private funds by theend of 2010.

Xlinks PTN, Dec 2010, (79), 2 (PTN Bureau,PTN, Postbus 6284, 5600 HG Eindhoven,Netherlands, tel: +31 (0) 40 247 52 62, fax:+31 (0) 40 247 54 30, e-mail: xlinks@ptn.nu,website http://www.ptn.nu) (in Dutch)

Nanotech Industries, Shunfa Coenter deal for Chinesepolyurethane market

Shunfa Co has signed amemorandum of agreement withNanotech Industries International(dba Hybrid Coating Technologies,or HCT) to produce and marketHCT’s Green Polyurethanecoatings and paint in China andSouth East Asia. HCT will offer itstechnology and expertise to ajointly owned Chinese-based LLC,while Shunfa will be in charge ofproviding the capital andmanaging the LLC. HCT, Shunfaand the LLC will enter into anintellectual property deal toprotect HCT’s technology and theLLC will submit an application forspecific Chinese patents based onthe technology. China is expectedto account for approximately 34%,or nearly 6.4 M tonnes, of theprojected global polyurethaneoutput of more than 18,668,250tonnes by 2012.

Coatings World, Dec 2010, 15 (12), 6

Powder coatings bounce back

Powder coatings sales arebouncing back to their pre-recession levels, with about 4-5%growth in global markets andapproximately 2% growth inmature markets, such as WesternEurope. Environmental issues,such as those related to VOCs,energy and waste, helped drivethe growth. In Jan-Sep 2010,AkzoNobel’s performance coatingsdivision recorded a 36% hike insales to €574 M ($786 M).Another European powdercoatings maker, Jotun, alsoreported improved profitability

during Jan-Aug 2010. Europeanresearch-focused producers havebeen improving low-temperaturecuring processes for the woodand plastics industries, with theaim of addressing the problemsrelated to loss of gloss and ofchemical and mechanicalresistance when curingtemperatures are reduced. Jotunhas introduced Era-Coat MDF(medium density fibreboard), aportfolio of furniture powdercoatings that can open upopportunities for the firm’s powdercoatings business in the woodmarket.

Coatings World, Dec 2010, 15 (12), 16-17

NEWPRODUCTS

DSM NeoResins+ UV-curable resin

A 100% UV-curable resin ideal forcoatings and overprint varnishesfor luxury packaging and high-endpromotional printing has beendeveloped by DSM NeoResins+.The resin, called NeoRad U-6288,provides formulators flexibility aswell as good matte efficiency. Theproduct makes it easy forformulators to improve theperformance of the coating orvarnish since the resin works witha variety of epoxy, urethane andpolyester acrylates. NeoRad U-6288-based matte coatings andvarnishes do not burnish. Theresin also offers better flow andmore effective pigment wetting,thanks to its low viscosity, thuspermitting formulators to developmatte products with improvedapplication properties.

PPCJ, Polymers, Paint, Colour Journal, Nov2010, 200 (4554), 40

iGloss: fewer scratches, highergloss

A new automotive OEM clearcoatthat provides longer protectionfrom microscratches than otherclearcoats has been developed byBASF Coatings. Called iGloss, the

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clearcoat provides long-lastingresistance from scratch, thuskeeping a car’s originalappearance for a longer time.iGloss has a brilliant look andoffers long life expectancy andresistance to environmentaleffects. Other benefits includegood flow, durability andenvironmental compatibilityproperties. Solutions for allautomotive coating applicationswere developed.

PPCJ, Polymers, Paint, Colour Journal, Nov2010, 200 (4554), 26

Resin revealed

Dow Corning offers the new 255Flake Resin for use in low-VOCcoatings. The new resin permitsconsumers to upgrade powdercoatings and cookwareformulations for high-temperatureuses. Dow Corning’s silicone flakeresins are heat and UV resistant.

PPCJ, Polymers, Paint, Colour Journal, Nov2010, 200 (4554), 40

BASF launches new colours forcars

BASF is introducing a range ofautomotive-grade colours, whichforesee future car colour trends.The ‘new intelligence:defragmented apparition’ labelcomprises colours designed tosuggest both technology andecology. These include blue andsilver tones and the ‘new neutrals’greyish beige and brown tones.Bold, solid colours come under‘move on now’ label, while the‘discrete dubbing’ line consists ofdark and metallic tones. The final‘supernatural’ collection featuresunique browns and blues.

European Plastics News, 1 Dec 2010, 37(11), 19

Bio-based polymers that healcracks

Michael Kessler, an Iowa StateUniversity associate professor ofmaterials science andengineering, has worked withpolymers that repair themselves

when they crack. And he’sworked with polymers made fromvegetable oils. Now he’s workingto combine the two technologies.He is researching and developingbiorenewable polymers capable ofhealing themselves as theydegrade and crack. “If successful,the results of this research willprovide biorenewable alternativesto petroleum-based resins,” saysa summary of Kessler’s researchproject. Successfully developingthe concept “should have a hugeimpact economically andenvironmentally.”

The technology has evolvedinto a system that embedscatalysts and microcapsulescontaining a liquid healing agentwithin a composite. As cracksdevelop in the composite, theyrupture the microcapsules andrelease the healing agent. Thehealing agent contacts thecatalyst and reacts by forming 3-D polymer chains that fill thecracks. This increases materiallifetimes and reducesmaintenance.

Press release from: Iowa State University ofScience and Technology, Ames, Iowa 50011,USA, tel: +1 (515) 294 4111, website:http://www.news.iastate.edu (6 Jan 2011)

MARKETSReportlinker adds automotivecoatings, adhesives & sealants

Reportlinker.com announces thata new market research report isavailable in its catalogue:Automotive Coatings, Adhesives &Sealants. US demand forcoatings, adhesives and sealantsused in the automotive industry isforecast to reach $5.6 bn in 2014.Through 2014, however, thissegment of the market will driveoverall gains as vehicleproduction expands rapidly from adepressed base. Coatings willremain the leading product type,accounting for more than threequarters of market value in 2014.Water-based, powder andradiation-curable coatings will

provide the best gains, as theirgood environmental profileenables users to meet stricterVOC requirements. However,overall demand will advance at abelow-average pace as efforts toimprove paint shop efficiency,reduce costs and limit waste willrestrict gains in market volume.Sales will also be impacted bygreater competition fromalternative materials, such as in-moulded coloured plastics andpaint films. Rapid growth will beachieved by the smaller adhesiveand sealant segments. Advanceswill be promoted by cost-cuttingmeasures and efforts to increasefuel efficiency by reducing vehicleweight, both of which favour theuse of adhesives and sealantsover welded joints, mechanicalfasteners and gaskets.

Press release from: Reportlinker, 97 RueRacine, 69100, Villeurbanne, France, tel: +334 37 37 16 37, fax: +33 4 37 37 15 56,website: http://www.reportlinker.com (7 Dec2010)

Cytec announces price increasefor powder coating resins in NorthAmerica

Cytec Industries Inc, and itsaffiliated companies, announced aselling price increase on allpowder coating resins(CRYLCOAT powder resins,ADDITOL powder resins additives,MODAFLOW additives and resinsand UVECOAT powder resins)sold in North America. Theincrease will be $0.08/lb-$0.10/lband will be effective for shipmentson or after 15 Dec 2010 or ascontracts allow. Cytec iscommitted to servicing anddelivering value to its customers,however this price increase isnecessary to compensate for theincrease in raw material costs.Cytec Industries Inc claims todeliver speciality chemicals andmaterials technologies beyond itscustomers’ imagination.

Press release from: Cytec Industries Inc, 5Garret Mountain Plaza, West Paterson, NJ07424, USA, tel: +1 973 357 3249 or +1973 357 3319, e-mail: info@gm.cytec.com,website: http://www.cytec.com (2 Dec 2010)