Schedule

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Denise Hartmann - Senior Vice President, Dispersions, Resins and Additives, North America
Company/Organization: BASF Corporation

Denise is responsible for the North American region of the Dispersions, Resins and Additives Business Unit and is based in Charlotte, NC.

Denise and her husband, Ian Crancer enjoy most outdoor activities including hiking and boating and both love to travel. Together, they summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2018. Denise also enjoys long distance running.

Denise earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MBA, with emphasis in Finance and Marketing from the University of Michigan.

Professional Career
• 1998: Joined BASF as an Engineer in the Professional Development Program
• 2000: Utility Engineer at the BASF Wyandotte, MI site
• 2003: Process Engineer – conversion of Vitamin E to Amino Resin Plant, Wyandotte, MI
• 2005: Operations Engineer – Luwipal® Plant, Wyandotte, MI
• 2007: Financial Analyst – Polyurethane Systems, Wyandotte, MI
• 2008: Business Manager – Autofroth®, Polyurethane Systems, Wyandotte, MI
• 2010: Manager Strategic Marketing – Transportation and Furniture Polyurethane Systems, Waterloo, Belgium
• 2012: Business Director – Hygiene Products Americas, Charlotte, NC
• 2016 Vice President – Business Management, Resins & Additives, Southfield, MI
• 2019 Senior Vice President – Dispersions, Resins & Additives NA, Charlotte, NC

Architectural interior coatings provide aesthetics to interior walls and protect painted surfaces from damage. Even though significant strides have been made in achieving good stain resistance of interior architectural coatings, resistance to scuff and mar has only recently gained the attention of the architectural coatings industry. It is difficult to achieve good mar and scuff resistance in interior architectural coatings because of the high amounts of inorganic pigments and fillers, the lack of required crosslinking density, and the need to balance other paint properties such as cleanability, durability and TiO2 efficiency. New advancements have been made in the development of polymers that enable the formulation of coatings with improved scuff, mar and scrub resistance. In these coatings, scuff and mar resistance can be improved without negatively impacting the coating’s resistance to a multitude of hydrophilic and hydrophobic household stains. The influence of mechanical properties and surface properties of coatings on scuff and mar resistance will be highlighted.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Kaliappa Ragunathan, PhD - Principal Scientist
Company/Organization: BASF Corporation

Two-component epoxy coatings have long been used for industrial protective applications due to their excellent adhesion to a wide range of substrates, superior chemical resistance, and various mechanical properties. However, one major drawback of Bisphenol A type epoxy-based coatings is their poor UV resistance; their amine curing agent frequently brings an increased yellowness to the system.

Huntsman Advanced Materials has introduced a unique cycloaliphatic type of amine curing agent which has low color, outstanding non-yellowing properties, and excellent gloss retention. By pairing with cycloaliphatic epoxy resins, it enables the feasibility of using only epoxy-based coatings to perform excellent UV resistance, eliminating the need of using polyurethane or acrylic topcoats. This paper will describe the thorough benefits of this novel amine curing agent and performance comparisons with another currently commercially available product. Performance comparisons with industrial standard polyurethane topcoat by using cycloaliphatic epoxy resins will also be discussed, specifically comparing dry time, gel time, hardness, and accelerated QUV-A weathering test, etc.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Yong Zhang - Technical Services Manager
Company/Organization: Huntsman Corporation

Low-gloss coatings with a smooth tactile feel are needed for natural-looking wood flooring and cabinets. While this effect can be achieved by using sufficiently high levels of certain matting agents, these heavily matted wood coatings tend to have poor mechanical and chemical resistance. Additionally, a high concentration of matting agents in a waterborne wood coating can cause turbidity and increase the viscosity of the formulation.
Recent advances in silica technology have enabled the production of a new smaller particle size spherical precipitated silica that has the unique ability to help dissipate mechanical forces and protect traditional precipitated silica matting agents. This paper will describe these new particles and demonstrate how they can be used to formulate a transparent yet deep matte wood coating that has significantly improved scratch, burnish and mar resistance.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Dr. Ingrid Meier - Head of Applied Research & Technology, Decorative Coatings Americas
Company/Organization: Evonik Corporation

The use of Methyltris-(methylethylketoximino) silane (MOS, MEKO-Oxime, CAS# 22984-54-9), is ubiquitous in the market today for US silicone roof coating and sealant manufacturers. MEKO-oxime, when used as a cross-linker with OH-functional polymers, provides a robust, neutral-curing system, with favorable economics and manufacturing-friendly handling properties. MEKO-oxime crosslinkers also provide some user-friendly application properties for installers of silicone coatings and sealants, such as allowing for ample working and fast cure times.

Unfortunately, despite the benefits MEKO-oxime provides, it has come under strong regulatory pressure recently in Europe, as the leaving group in the condensation cure reaction, methyl ethyl ketoxime (CAS# 96-29-7), is now labeled as suspected of causing cancer in Europe, and Canada has also determined it has adverse effects on organs and nose tissue. The Canadian government recently reduced limits of MEKO in exterior silicone sealants as their publications indicate that human health risks from exposure to MEKO weren’t being effectively managed.

Presented here is an alternative novel approach to formulating silicone coatings and sealants, using an ethoxy-functional silane and titanate blend as the cross-linker, to eliminate the need for MEKO-Oxime, as well as provide silicone systems that are tin and methanol-free.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Jason J. Netherton - Director of Business and New Product Development
Company/Organization: ACCESS Rudolf Technologies

Polyaspartic coatings were developed about 30 years ago for coating steel, in order to prevent corrosion. The high performance coating attributes led to expanding the utility through experimentation of this technology into other applications. Over the years, polyaspartic coatings have improved and can be expanded into applications that traditionally are dominated by epoxy and urethane systems. The reaction to produce a polyaspartic coating is between the polyisocyanate (NCO) and an amine-functional resin (NH). The main challenge with polyaspartic technology is that working time is significantly reduced due to its fast reaction rate. The development of a polyaspartic coating that retains all the high performance properties yet provides sufficient working time is very desirable in the market. To meet this need, the use of an aliphatic polyisocyanate based on hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), and blends at different percentages were formulated and found to reduce the reaction rate. The polyisocyanate and blends were then compared with other equivalent products currently in the market. Each polyaspartic coating was tested based on industry standard coating performance tests to ensure accurate and reliable evaluation of each test. The use of blended polyisocyanates in the formulation were able achieve an increased dry time of ~30% while maintaining its strong properties. The blends also had much better hardness and solvent resistance compared with the current products on the market while still providing good adhesion and gloss. These results provide insight into our product development and ability to target market needs through creative and innovative ideas.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Jonathan Stanga
Company/Organization: Wanhua Chemical America Co., Ltd

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a typical representative of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances. Its usage has been increasingly critically assessed at a global level because products from this group of chemicals are suspected of being harmful to health. Nevertheless, PTFE possesses some desirable properties that harmless materials often do not have. In the field of wax additives, for example, conventional PTFE-based variants demonstrate outstanding abrasion and scratch resistance. For this reason, BYK has developed sustainable alternatives to PE/PTFE wax additives that are both safe to use and ensure excellent application results. The special composition of these new additives gives them a comparable level of mechanical resistance, including abrasion and scratch resistance.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Smriti Arora - Technical Manager
Company/Organization: BYK

Silica gels are an important formulation tool used in Industrial Coatings for the reduction of gloss and creating a matte finish. Mr. Robertson will review the General Chemistry of Silica Gels, Matting Effect and how it is measured. He will also provide useful formulation guidelines on how different properties of Silica influence matting performance and associated characteristics.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Wesley Robertson - Technical Service Manager
Company/Organization: PQ Corporation

A coating with low gloss and high transparency is the basis for a matt finish without affecting the colour strength and thus also a very natural wood look even with dark tones. Besides other negative effects on the coating performance, this combination of low gloss and transparency is where conventional matting agents like silica or waxes reach their technical boundaries.
This talk outlines the development and application data of an inherently matte, water-borne acrylic polymer. After drying, a film with low gloss, high flexibility, excellent resistance and, above all, excellent transparency is formed. The time- and labour-consuming incorporation of solid matting agents is eliminated, making the formulation much simpler, more stable and more economical.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Dr. Fabian Gyger - Global Product Manager
Company/Organization: Zschimmer & Schwarz

There are several performance trends that have become increasingly popular in recent years in the wood coatings market. In this talk, we will focus on two emerging trends- early rain resistance and damp wood application. We will also present Dow’s new test method development to address these emerging trends and how the lab tests correlate with real world exposure.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Ashley Gong - TS&D scientist
Company/Organization: Dow Chemical Company

This paper will discuss the environmental and sustainable advantage of the Aspanger mica deposit as well as the role of mica in formulating environmentally advantageous coatings to help prevent corrosion and protect substrates allowing them to last longer.

The original fineness of the Aspanger Muscovite MICA, due to the unique mineral structure of the Leukophyllit in the deposit, results in a cost-advantage and carbon footprint reduction for fine MICA powder and additionally a quality advantage. These results are possible compared to other deposits because the Aspanger deposit allows a better and shorter and less energy intensive milling process which maintains the lamellar, platy, and flat structure.

This deposit with over 100 years of reserves, yields a broad portfolio in terms of narrow PSDs and high purity with very low crystalline silica content and high whiteness of the mica functional filler which reduces the actual carbon footprint dramatically.

Aspanger is a family-owned mining company founded in 1856. As member of European Union, Aspanger must 100% observe the European laws and regulations which strictly forbid child-labor and must guarantee a mineral which is produced in a sustainable way by respecting the environment among many other EU stewardship laws.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Engelbert Pürrer - Managing Director
Company/Organization: Aspanger

Today’s architectural coatings require different properties at the surface in order to fight against common weathering issues after application. Fighting against issues like snail trails, dirt pick up, and stain resistance require a certain chemistry at the surface to allow for a prolonged life cycle. This presentation will cover the importance of blending properties like hydorphobicity and oleophobicity and the chemistries used to obtain the right surface for the desired performance.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Christopher Mosinski - North America End Use Manager
Company/Organization: BYK USA Inc.

A practical guide for effective preservation strategies of aqueous systems given the regulatory, supply chain, formulation and microbiological challenges encountered by manufacturers of industrial products which are naturally susceptible to microbiological contamination and degradation.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Chuck Malloy - Technical Sales Representative
Company/Organization: BCS Chemical Company

Vinyl-acrylic latexes are widely used in the architectural coatings industry due to its relatively low cost and versatility. The copolymerization of vinyl acetate and butyl acrylate can generate a polymer with low Tg and low MFFT which requires a reduced content of coalescing agent, therefore contributing to the development of low VOC paints to attend stringent regulations.
Nevertheless, the emulsion polymerization process to generate vinyl-acrylic latexes can be complex and the replacement of APE-based surfactants for EHS-friendly solutions can be challenging. The higher polarity of the polymer decreases surfactant adsorption and can decrease the water resistance of the final coating; hence, surfactant choice is crucial in the development of optimized formulations.
The effect of APE-free nonionic surfactants with different hydrophobes and APE-free anionic surfactants with different ethylene oxide content in the emulsion polymerization of vinyl-acrylic latex was investigated. The effect of different ratios of anionic to nonionic surfactants was also evaluated. The results were compared against vinyl-acrylic latexes synthesized with APE-based and APE-free surfactant benchmarks.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Bruno Dário - TS&D for Coatings
Company/Organization: Indorama Ventures

A common goal of many formulators and additive designers is to improve performance while reducing the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the final product. Rule-of-thumb heuristics, such as counting the number of oxygen atoms, exist for determining whether a proposed structure would be deemed a VOC by current test methods. These methods are mostly unverified by data analysis and are usually designed around a single test, such as a gas chromatographic method. Additionally, these methods do not seek to resolve what exactly qualifies as “volatile” and what properties of a molecule contribute to that “volatility.” To improve the predictive and mechanistic understanding of VOCs in coatings, molecular descriptors and deep learning neural networks are used to predict the chromatographic response factor and retention time of formulation components. Artificial neural networks trained using K-fold cross validation can effectively predict gas chromatograph response factor and retention time for a variety of small molecules. Integrating these predictions into comprehensive computational material design workflows allows for on-the-fly VOC estimation as novel formulations and components are hypothesized in the early formulation design stages.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Dr. Erik Sapper - Assistant Professor
Company/Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

The paint performance of an associative cellulose ether is related to the length of the cellulose backbone and the characteristics of the hydrophobic groups. Moreover, the substitution of the cellulose backbone plays an important role in providing the desired paint properties. By carefully balancing the methyl, ethyl, hydroxy ethyl, and associative substituents a versatile thickener for premium quality paints has been developed. This novel chemistry enables improved thickening efficiency with outstanding consistency and “in-can” feel of the paints.
A study in PVC 30 and PVC 60 formulations based on vinyl acrylic and vinyl acetate ethylene binders showed substantially higher ICI viscosities for the new associative cellulose ether compared to commercially available hydrophobically modified cellulose ethers. The high application viscosity gave excellent hiding power and film build, improved one-coat coverage and reduced application time. The new associative cellulose ether showed extremely good application properties in the study such as low spatter and improved sag resistance. The unique chemistry provided excellent compatibility with pigments, superior color acceptance and optimized color development. Paints formulated with the new associative cellulose ether also showed improved storage stability and are highly resistant to syneresis and color float.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Stewart Williams
Company/Organization: Nouryon

An exclusive and insightful Leadership Panel featuring industry experts from BASF, IMCD, Azelis, Canadian Paint and Coating Association, and Dunn Edwards in the 2023 WCS. This highly anticipated event will delve into the most pressing topics in the chemical and coatings industry, providing valuable insights and strategies for success.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Dr. Allen Bulick - Technical Director of Product Development
Company/Organization: Dunn-Edwards Corporation (A Nippon Paint Company)

Speaker: Denise Hartmann - Senior Vice President, Dispersions, Resins and Additives, North America
Company/Organization: BASF Corporation

Speaker: Gary LeRoux - President & CEO
Company/Organization: Canadian Paint & Coatings Association

Speaker: Eva M. O'Keefe - Vice President of Principal Development
Company/Organization: Azelis Americas CASE

Speaker: Muge Tamkan - Americas Vice President
Company/Organization: IMCD Coatings & Construction

Allen Bulick is the Technical Director of Product Development at Dunn Edwards Paints, responsible for new product development and product improvement for the architectural coatings market. Dunn Edwards is an architectural coatings company based in the Southwest with a 95-year history of delivering market leading products to the professional painter. Previously, Allen worked for Engineered Polymer Solutions as the Technical Manager for industrial and construction resins and began his career at Dow Chemical in their Core R&D group. He has a background as a research scientist in small molecule and polymer synthesis and formulation science in a variety of fields including coatings, electronic materials, oil & gas, and personal care. He received a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University with a focus on tissue engineering and is an author on 8 US patents.

Denise is responsible for the North American region of the Dispersions, Resins and Additives Business Unit and is based in Charlotte, NC.

Denise and her husband, Ian Crancer enjoy most outdoor activities including hiking and boating and both love to travel. Together, they summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2018. Denise also enjoys long distance running.

Denise earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MBA, with emphasis in Finance and Marketing from the University of Michigan.

Professional Career
• 1998: Joined BASF as an Engineer in the Professional Development Program
• 2000: Utility Engineer at the BASF Wyandotte, MI site
• 2003: Process Engineer – conversion of Vitamin E to Amino Resin Plant, Wyandotte, MI
• 2005: Operations Engineer – Luwipal® Plant, Wyandotte, MI
• 2007: Financial Analyst – Polyurethane Systems, Wyandotte, MI
• 2008: Business Manager – Autofroth®, Polyurethane Systems, Wyandotte, MI
• 2010: Manager Strategic Marketing – Transportation and Furniture Polyurethane Systems, Waterloo, Belgium
• 2012: Business Director – Hygiene Products Americas, Charlotte, NC
• 2016 Vice President – Business Management, Resins & Additives, Southfield, MI
• 2019 Senior Vice President – Dispersions, Resins & Additives NA, Charlotte, NC

Gary graduated with distinction from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada, with a degree in political science and economics, followed by a post-graduate degree from Ottawa’s Carleton University with an MPA in Administration.

After graduation from Carleton Gary joined the Canadian Federal Government for three years working in organizational design and financial policy gaining first-hand knowledge of how government truly works – or not – from the inside. He left and joined the number one government relations firm in Canada at the time as Senior Consultant for 10 years working for a broad range of national and multinational corporations and associations in areas that included: transportation, health and safety, oil and gas, telecommunications, environmental regulation, financial services, international trade and government procurement. During that time he also founded two other successful businesses and fully understands the complex public-private sector dynamic so critical in the highly regulated CASE industry. In 1992, with three partners, he founded a government relations firm, Industry Government Relations Group, where one of his clients was the Canadian Paint and Coatings Association whose Board later appointed him President and CEO in 2011 after a search by Ogders Berndtston.

Eva M. O’Keefe has worked in the coatings industry for over 25 years. She currently works at Azelis Americas CASE as a Vice President of Principal Development, managing some of the top relationships for Azelis.
Before her current role, Eva was the Vice President of Sales, managing the West region. In addition, Eva was a Vice-President of Key Accounts and Product Manager at IMCD, where she broke the company’s sales record in its 53-year history.
Eva graduated with a dual degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Florida. She later earned her master’s in business administration at Pepperdine University.
Eva was inducted into the Engineering honor societies Tau Beta Pi and Alpha Pi Mu, as well as the MBA’ honor society, Beta Gamma Sigma. Eva is fluent in English and Spanish and proficient in Portuguese. Eva resides in San Clemente, California with her husband, Sean. Her two children, Jack and Sofia are away at college. She loves hiking, yoga, peloton, skiing, healthy eating, and traveling the world in her free time.

Müge Tamkan is the Americas Vice President, IMCD Coatings & Construction, which is part of IMCD Group, a leading distributor, formulator and solutions provider in specialty chemicals and ingredients. As Americas Vice President, Müge is a member of the IMCD Coatings & Construction global management team and the ambassador for the Americas region. In this role, she is accountable for driving global best practices for business development and supporting the Americas acquisition strategy. As a member of the IMCD US leadership team, Müge is also responsible for the strategic growth of its Coatings & Construction business across the U.S.

An experienced leader, Müge’s 24-year tenure in specialty chemicals brings a wealth of expertise to the organization – from technical sales, product management to senior management roles in Türkiye and in the U.S. – she has consistently delivered results through collaboration and sales excellence. Müge has held several leadership positions at IMCD over the past 15 years and has built a reputation for fostering a culture of trust, transparency and open communication.

Müge holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and an MBA. For the past three years since moving to the U.S. from Türkiye, she has called the state of New Jersey home with her husband and two sons.

Open time extenders (OTE) are an important additive in the formulation of water-based paints. Their task is to assist painters in applying paints and obtaining invisible overlaps, keeping the wet-edge until the paint is properly applied, and make any corrections and touch-ups invisible. A common additive to extend the open time was monopropylene glycol (MPG), however, due to the classification as VOC in formulations, it is replaced by advanced non-VOC additives that can replace it with no less effectiveness. This paper discusses the comparison of performance of MPG and an exemplary OTE-additive in terms of the effect on drying-time, wet-edge and open-time in US-formulations of wall paints and trim paints based on water-borne acrylic binders. The effect of changing the MPG additive to OTE-additive on other important ink parameters, e.g. viscosity, scrubbability, storage stability, hardness, etc., was also compared to draw attention to the very important aspect of the effect of the open time extension additive on other minor parameters of paint and coatings.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Artur Palasz PhD - Technical Director
Company/Organization: Spektrochem Technical Center of Raw Materials for Waterborne Paints

his paper is an expansion on the recent improvements to our PVB-based Dispersions. Previously, Shark Solutions partnered with ChemQuest Technology Institute (CQTI) to perform a blind study in order to evaluate interior architectural wall paint formulations with binder systems composed of or containing recycled polyvinyl butyral (PVB). This study showed PVB to perform competitively against a control as well as 2 commercially available off-the-shelf paints using binders composed of Styrene Acrylic and pure Acrylic chemistries. PVB is recycled from laminated windshield and building glass and upcycled into Water Borne dispersions (SharkDispersions™) offering superior properties based on their chemisty. SharkDispersions™ also allow for low (down to <1 g/L calculated) VOC paint formulations that do not need to rely on coalescing agents. Recently, there have been several developments to improve the profile of SharkDispersions™. Shark Solutions commissioned a new lifecycle analysis of it’s production process to provide carbon footprint data on it’s products. There are also environmental product declarations (EPD) for our dispersions. SharkDispersionSX™ recently received the Asthma-Allergy Denmark Label as non-allergenic substances. Improvements to PVB dispersions recently also showed improved scrub resistance compared to other formulations with the ability to pass the EU Class 1 scrub resistance test.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Andrew Zudans - US Sales Manager PVB
Company/Organization: Shark Solutions, Inc.

Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) are crosslinked networks similar to thermoset polymers, however their covalent cross-links incorporate dynamic covalent bonds. These dynamic covalent bonds are activated by an external stimulus such as temperature, light, or mechanical stress. In polymer films, dynamic bonds can enable self-healing or reprocessing in the material on demand. This project aims to incorporate dynamic covalent bonds in commercial polyester wood coatings to enable self-healing via catalyzed transesterification reactions. First, we performed a small molecule exchange reaction using polyester model compounds to optimize catalyst identity and concentration as determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Bond dynamicity is subsequently tested via stress relaxation experiments. The coatings will also be evaluated in terms of their water resistance, mechanical properties, rheology, and thermal properties. This project aims to study the efficacy of incorporating dynamic bonds into commercial wood coatings, while maintaining required properties for an effective product.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Dr Leslie S. Hamachi - Assistant Professor
Company/Organization: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Surfaces having continuously active antibacterial and antiviral properties are a powerful tool to supplement traditional disinfection practices. These active surfaces can reduce the level of re-contamination on high touch surfaces and provide antimicrobial efficacy between regular cleaning and disinfection protocols. Guidance and test methods for surface products adding residual efficacy claims against human pathogens have recently been finalized by the US EPA. There is strong interest in the continued development of antimicrobial coatings, particularly for surfaces that are frequently touched. A challenge is that these surfaces often use high-performance coatings, which can have inherent properties detrimental to achieving antimicrobial efficacy. This talk will discuss advancements made in the development of high-touch coatings, formulated with a unique copper-glass ceramic additive, that demonstrate continuously active antimicrobial functionality.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Dr. Mark Langille - Commercial Technology Manager for Specialty Surfaces
Company/Organization: Corning Incorporated

The desired rheology of waterborne, architectural paints can be obtained by combining thickeners of different types and origin that act via different mechanisms. Synthetic associative thickeners form flexible networks via hydrophobic interactions between the polymer chains and the paint components, enabling perfect flow and leveling. Hydrophobically modified cellulose ethers normally have a lower degree of association and a higher molecular weight, giving stronger networks that improves sag resistance but impairs the flow and leveling properties of the formulation.
In this study, a new ultra-low molecular weight, highly associative cellulose ether is used as a sole thickener in architectural all acrylic formulations. The new thickener gives leveling properties in paint similar to synthetic thickeners (e.g. HEURs) while retaining high sag resistance. This behavior is explained by rheological studies on the viscoelastic properties of a paint series using different thickener systems . The influence of formulation factors such as latex type, dispersant, and wetting agents on the rheological performance of the new thickener is discussed. Results from low-VOC paints of different PVC using the new thickener are presented, including results from an airless spray study.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Dr. Helena Wassenius
Company/Organization: Nouryon Functional Chemicals

Opacity Pigments™ have become an established and proven way to optimize and/or reduce TiO₂ use in flat paints without compromise to dry opacity or mechanical properties.

Optimizing the levels of TiO2 for dry opacity in paints often comes at the price of lower wet opacity. This often-critical property is usually assessed visually, a subjective test depending on the operator and environmental factors – lighting, time, humidity etc. This paper will outline a method developed within FP-Pigments that allows for a more accurate evaluation of wet opacity and thus demonstrate the importance of the TiO2 levels on this fundamental coating property.

This paper will also discuss technical developments within FP- Pigments that offer the paint formulator a “third way” to develop higher opacity coatings with existing levels of TiO₂ thus maintaining wet hide performance. This new method of utilising optimized TiO₂ opens the doors to potentially thinner films and lower carbon footprints.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Paul Dietz - Group Technical Director
Company/Organization: FP-Pigments

Sustainability goals continue to evolve in the Australian Paint Industry from reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the recent past to new and increasing focus on energy and resource conservation today.

This paper will cover the new focus of sustainability in the Australian Paint Industry, by proving detail on the Product Stewardship program ‘Paintback’, a national environmental scheme, that removes architectural and decorative waste paint from landfill and waterways. The various methods of treatment including alternative fuel and raw material in cement kilns offers a new lease in life for these unwanted paints. Ultimately greater research in the area is uncovering even more environmentally sustainable pathways for these waste / unwanted products.

Surface Coatings Association of Australia (SCAA) is contributing to the sustainability of the paint industry by being certified as the auditors for Australia’s National Science Agency, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). These Verification Services and the Accreditation scheme ensure that government infrastructure protective coatings meet the standard, and the painting contractors are professional, trained, skilled personnel with the knowledge and expertise to get the maximum service life out of the certified products.

Finally, this address will show the synergistic affects of raw material suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, consumers, verification providers and industry associations can work collaboratively for best environmentally sustainable outcomes.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: John Keramidas - President
Company/Organization: Surface Coatings Association Australia (SCAA)

Protecting Mother Nature’s incredible creation is no small task. It shrinks. It expands. It moves. Further, aesthetics, protection and vast functionality are required and all at the same time. How do we enhance its natural beauty while providing remarkable performance that consumers and industries demand? Join us for a focused discussion on the latest trends and innovations in material chemistries for wood surfaces – both interior and exterior. Learn why wood is so difficult to protect, how new advancements are addressing these challenges and common formulation techniques used to create modern wood coatings.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Latoska N. Price, M.S. - Technical Service Manager
Company/Organization: Synthomer

Premium exterior architectural paints are often applied to substrates of varying integrity. As poor-quality paints age by natural UV-light and moisture, the polymeric binder can degrade leaving behind powdery appearance hindering adhesion of a new coat of paint. Currently, there is no way to easily quantify the degree of chalkiness on given substrates. Without standardized boards, adhesion results between substrates are inconsistent.
This study focuses on the development of a quantitative rating system for chalky substrates using delta E (dE) colorimetric measurements. Boards were weathered and tested at different time points over a year. Clear tape was used to pull off chalk from the boards and a spectrophotometer was used to measure the dE of the tapes compared to a blank control. Adhesion was tested throughout using a control paint with a known adhesion. ASTM D 3359 was used for rating classification.
The study found dEs consistently matched specific adhesion ratings regardless of substrate weathering time, suggesting this method could predict when a board has the appropriate chalk level for testing. It was found that boards can reach equal level of chalk in as little as 4 weeks or as long as 23 weeks, depending on time of year.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Victoria Diez - Chemist
Company/Organization: BASF Corporation

It seems that everything from automobiles to water heaters is going electric these days, so you probably think you’re on the leading edge because your coating temperature control system is comprised of electric drum blankets and in-line electric heaters. And you did it before it became popular!
Unfortunately, there are little-known flaws in this approach that could be causing failures in your fluid dispensing system instead of addressing the problems you set out to solve.
In this presentation we reveal eight ways that electric heating systems can create issues in both manual and automated coating application operations. Each of these is explained in detail and supported by the underlying science of modern coating and application technologies. This provides a roadmap by which to analyze issues and improve your performance, to realize the benefits you set out to achieve when you selected your electric heating system in the first place!

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Michael R. Bonner - Vice President of Engineering & Technology
Company/Organization: Saint Clair Systems, Inc.

Following the global pandemic, the digital buying process of ingredients for coating formulations has accelerated from what had been predicted prior to 2020. This means that exploring, screening, and even final selection of ingredients is now done predominantly online.

If you are a researcher or formulator, a marketer of ingredients, or even a procurement manager, you need to understand your digital channel options, how they differ, and which are the most critical for your business.

This presentation by SpecialChem, a pioneer in building and leveraging digital channels since 2000, will discuss the digital options relevant to the coatings industry overall. He will share where the early-stage buyers are looking, how frequently they are seeking solutions, and how suppliers can influence the journey of these buyers through digital.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: James Weatherall - Global Vice President
Company/Organization: SpecialChem

The field of coatings technology has utilized many forms of fumed silica in the last 70 years. Due to highly adaptable surfaces and structure, numerous grades have been developed over the decades to provide functional solutions to many coating problems. Successful use of technology is contingent on adequate dispersion, which often requires some type of milling technology. Now, an innovative downstream process breakthrough has created an easy-to-disperse fumed silica design on an experimental scale to enable formulators to use technology without the need for high intensity milling.

Historically, there are many tailor-made designs that resulted from fumed silica’s adaptable character. These designs create performance attributes including rheological flow control, suspension, reinforcement, and scratch resistance using standard high-speed dispersion which replace more intense bead milling to achieve high efficiency.

This paper will compare performance using both forms of dispersion; standard high speed dissolver type compared to bead-mill type to demonstrate the easy-to-disperse innovation.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Jim Reader - Senior Technical Manager – Industrial and Transportation Coatings Americas
Company/Organization: Evonik Corporation

Drivable concrete coatings are formulated to perform in a challenging set of criteria. Concrete itself is a highly variable substrate to which the coating must be able to adhere. More challenging still is a drivable coating: proper film formation must occur, yet the coating must provide sufficient hardness to resist hot tire and dirt pickup. Historically high glass transition polymers have been used in the segment to achieve the hardness and chemical resistance needed for a drivable coating; however, to advance sustainability in this segment, resin and formulation development is needed to achieve less than 50 grams per liter VOC in a drivable coating. Further, it is critical that the coating protect the underlying concrete as it is a highly energy intensive material with high carbon footprint to produce. Arkema Coating Solutions has developed a latex for both pigmented and clear drivable concrete coatings to allow formulators operate at less than 50 grams per liter VOC in this challenging application space.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Dan Stark - Research Chemist
Company/Organization: Arkema Coating Solutions

With growing demand for sustainability in the coatings industry, manufacturers are searching for ways to achieve their goals. Turning to bio-renewable raw materials is one way to get there. For decades, soya-based alkyd resins have been used in solventbased coatings, but until recently, little has been available for use in waterbased coatings. This presentation provides a broad overview of soy-based raw materials that are commercially available for use in waterbased paints and coatings. It dives deeper into those materials with the preparation and testing of coatings formulated with soy emulsions and dispersions, coalescing solvents and dispersants compared to their petroleum-based counterparts. Applications include architectural paints, wood deck stains and sealers and direct-to-metal coatings. The soy materials to be presented will provide formulators with additional tools necessary to develop sustainable coatings.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Debora Hense - Technical Director
Company/Organization: Stonebridge Coatings Laboratory

A novel defoamer with high bio-renewable content (BRC) demonstrated effective defoaming capability than traditional mineral oil based, or silicone based defoamer in a water-based printing ink based on emulsions made with high BRC components. The defoamer was developed using bio-based raw materials that has extraordinary defoaming capability and long-term stability in waterborne coatings, printing inks, adhesives, and emulsion polymerization. It has very broad global food contact ratings, capable to be used for both indirect and direct food contact applications and designed to be used in coating applications with pro-environmental labeling.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Charlie Hsu - Sr. Technical Specialist
Company/Organization: BASF Corporation

Leading beyond chemistry is at the heart of our aspiration to make life better—both now and for future generations. The planet is impacted by our choices and consumers are taking notice. Sustainability is becoming a consumer mandate. Companies will need to partner together to increase the availability of green energies, transforming existing production chains into circular processes and renewable feedstocks, while working to future-proof the products and solutions we provide.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Stuart Hayes - Vice President | Regional Development – North America
Company/Organization: Evonik Corporation

Stuart Hayes is an experienced leader, with a long career in the chemical industry. With a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration, he has been able to lead various business areas in the chemical field. Starting his career with BASF, Stuart served in many manufacturing and engineering roles over a ten-year span, ultimately responsible for a chemical operation with the company. Upon starting with Evonik, Stuart embarked on traditional sales and marketing roles before moving to Germany. While at the Evonik headquarters, he served in a global communications capacity, then as lead for an R&D project within the group. Returning to the US, Stuart began various leadership roles within Evonik responsible for regional businesses, first in the Polyurethane industry and then in the HI&I cleaning markets. Building on that experience, he led Evonik’s global interests for surfactants in both the Oil & Gas and Mining Industries. In June 2022, Stuart began his current role with a focus on Sustainability at Evonik for the North American region. This manufacturing and business background gives Stuart a broad perspective into how sustainability should be perceived as a business driver for chemical companies, a way for each of us to lead beyond chemistry.

Architectural coatings today are expected to have minimal environmental impact and very low volatile organic carbon (VOC) content as well as having exceptional durability and stain resistance. Low VOC paints tend to use lower Tg binders to circumvent the need for VOC-contributing coalescing agents and solvents but they often suffer from lowered block, stain, and scuff resistance performance. Siloxane-based surface control additives are critical tools in achieving these key surface properties while avoiding the environmental implications of other chemistries traditionally used in this space. With proper structure modifications these siloxanes can be tuned to strongly influence the coating surface to improve properties like anti-blocking, stain, scuff, and dirt pickup resistance.
In this paper, we will investigate several different siloxane chemistries to demonstrate that siloxane-based surface control additives, particularly siloxane emulsions, can provide a route to difficult-to-achieve final architectural paint properties such as early block resistance, stain and scuff resistance while positively impacting other challenging end coating properties.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Dr. Meixi Chen
Company/Organization: Evonik Corporation

Powder Coatings offer durable finishes for many industrial, selective automotive and architectural applications. These coatings are VOC free, environmentally friendly, and are generally colored with lead free inorganic and organic pigments. Powder coatings are processed at up to 450F, and selected pigments must have very good heat stability. In addition, the pigments are required to have necessary durability, opacity, and be cost effective to meet the very competitive market needs.

Generally organic pigments have much lower opacity (similar refractive index as those for resins) than their inorganic (much higher refractive index than resins) counterparts. Most formulations contain a blend of organic pigments and inorganic pigments such as iron oxides and titanium dioxide to achieve the shade and opacity. There are other ways to improve the opacity without compromising performance (cost, hue, gloss & chroma) in powder coatings. Some these are given below and will be presented in this talk.

1. Best option is blending most chromatic organic pigments with inorganic pigments resulting in cost effective, durable, and opaque formulation.
2. Selecting optimized particle size organic pigments with low surface area, better flow, low orange peel and high gloss (especially in yellow, orange, and red hues).
3. Using bright inorganic pigments (Bismuth Vanadate, Nickel Titanate, and other titanates) with organic pigments to achieve high opacity, maintain chroma and performance.
4. Selecting complimentary pigments (green for reds) as a shader (instead of iron oxides) with minimum effect on chroma and maintain performance.
5. Optimum pigments to achieve complete opacity at low film thickness (< 2 mil). 6. Special hybrid pigments – core shell technolgy

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Dr. Romesh Kumar
Company/Organization: Heubach Group, Inc.

A new functional additive based on siloxane polyacrylate technology was developed to provide an outstanding easy to clean surface or anti-graffiti effect in water based coatings. The additive was designed to significantly lower the surface energy of the coating, thus making it more hydrophobic and oleophobic. This allows surface contaminates such as dirt, fingerprints, and spray paints to be easily removed. The anchor groups introduced in the molecule can interact with suitable binders to ensure long-lasting functional attributes. Additionally, the additive lowers the COF and does not negatively impact the optical properties of the coating. The application features are demonstrated along with surface energy / contact angle measurements using variety of test systems.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Royce Mathews - Business Development Manager
Company/Organization: Munzing US

An extreme world calls for extreme materials, and coatings made with a water based polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-acrylic dispersion as the binder have been shown to meet the highest weathering standards for OEM architectural coatings on metal substrates (American Architectural Manufactures Association (AAMA) 2605). The inherent properties of PVDF-acrylic dispersions that impart excellent dirt-pick-up resistance and color retention in premium architectural applications, are tunable in blends with acrylic latex allowing for targeted performance in less demanding applications. In this paper, we demonstrate the performance benefits of blending PVDF-acrylic dispersions with 100% acrylic latex (up to 20 wt% PVDF based on resin solids). This leads to coatings that can be formulated below 50 g/L VOC, withstand color fade and film erosion resistance, all properties that allow for longer lifetime for the end-user, ultimately improving the Scope 3 emissions and overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Abby Miller - Senior Chemist
Company/Organization: Arkema Inc.

Solventborne (SB) polyols may utilize exempt solvents as a way of achieving lower volatile organic compounds (VOC) formulations. As regulations change, the coatings industry is adapting. In preparation for potential regulatory changes in exempt solvents, a new direct to metal (DTM) polyol has been developed to demonstrate low VOC capable solutions while maintaining high performance. When tested on multiple metal substrates, this DTM polyol has advantages in wet adhesion, corrosion protection, weatherability and chemical resistance. Superior early and final hardness along with high gloss retention are additional benefits of this resin. These high-performance properties are achieved through the polymer design and formulation with regulatory pressures considered.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: David Tilley - Chemist
Company/Organization: BASF Corporation

Maintaining block resistance in a near-zero VOC formulation space is a key requirement for both interior and exterior topcoat products. Rapid anti-block development allows for a quicker return to service after painting and reduces inadvertent marring of a freshly painted surface. This is especially true in high-traffic applications. Ultimate hardness is also a critical criterion for premium acrylic coatings, where high abrasion, washability and chemical resistance is needed. Formulators often rely on the use of migrating species, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to achieve their block resistance needs. In coatings and many other goods, PFAS have come under increased regulatory scrutiny by the U.S. EPA and state regulatory agencies. This presentation will discuss how the transition away from PFAS materials can reduce regulatory uncertainty while also improving coating performance.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Karl Booth - R&D Manager
Company/Organization: EPS - Engineered Polymer Solutions

The are many factors that influence good film formation of waterborne coatings whether the polymer chemistry is based on all acrylic, styrene acrylic, vinyl acetate, etc. The glass transition temperature, or Tg, of the polymer and the minimum film formation temperature, or MFFT, of the coating formulation depend on many variables including monomer composition, polymer particle size, coalescing agents, hydroplasticization, application temperature, etc.

This presentation will initially review the waterborne film formation process and subsequently dive deeper into an understanding of the differences between Tg and MFFT as well as the factors that influence each of those parameters.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Sam Morell - Founder
Company/Organization: SamMorell.com

Polymers used to formulate modern exterior decorative coatings must meet performance challenges that arise from exposure to a broad range of environmental conditions – temperature extremes, sunlight, wind and air quality. Exterior paint must be hard yet flexible, give strong dirt pickup resistance, maintain color and gloss uniformity and produce strong water barrier performance. These challenges are magnified considering limitations to design polymers that meet regulatory requirements and satisfy consumer preference to choose low VOC coatings that elevate performance from previous generations.

Modern polymer design techniques offer numerous approaches to meet the exposure challenges of water-based exterior coatings. Key emulsion polymer attributes include multi-phase polymers with hard and soft domains, nanoparticle size emulsions, incorporation of specialty monomers, and use of polymerizable surfactant technology. Polymer design considerations to optimize coating performance are discussed in the framework of low VOC decorative exterior coating formulations. Featured characteristics including water resistance, elongation, dirt pickup resistance, and accelerated weathering demonstrate the capabilities of innovative emulsion polymer design techniques to achieve high performance exterior coatings.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Neal Rogers - Business Development Manager
Company/Organization: Vinavil

A new reactable, liquid non-basic hindered amine light stabilizer has been developed, which can covalently react in with melamine and isocyanate crosslinked coatings, thereby minimizing migration of the stabilizer during light exposure of cured coatings. The new experimental HALS, available as a blend with a reactable, photopermanent triazine UV absorber is designed to meet the high performance and durability requirements of exterior solvent-based automotive and industrial coating applications where basic HALS fail or where compatibility with the coating matrix or migration into the substrate are problematic. For example, improved retention of the stabilizer, especially in coatings over plastic substrates is beneficial as migration into the plastic substrate can lead to loss of durability and weathering resistance.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Ravi Ravichandran - President & Chief Scientist
Company/Organization: Amindon Inc.

Conventional technologies such as dissolvers, agitators or bead mills convert more than 90 % of the supplied electrical energy into heat, usually unwanted heat. The excess temperature often has to be cooled down again, another energy- and time-consuming process. These old technologies disperse, grind and reheat the same product multiple times over and over again, as they use their energy in an uncontrolled manner on a larger volume.
New Inline Disperser Technologies don’t do that. Even though they use electrical power in the same range, this power is concentrated into a volume of less than 10 oz (300 ml). The intensity of power per volume is 30,000 times higher. The shear rate is 1,000 times higher. In this way, much finer dispersions and enormous quality improvements are achieved in a single pass and in a fraction of a second compared to conventional technologies.
Energy and process time are reduced by up to 90 %. The overall manufacturing costs are reduced enormously. Even raw materials can be saved due to more intense dispersion. The temperature increase is less than one third compared to previous productions.
The presentation introduces the details of this new technology, concepts of production and results based on many existing systems.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Dr. Hans-Joachim Jacob - Senior Process Engineer
Company/Organization: ystral

Open time is the length of time the paint film remains “wet” or open enough to allow “workability” when paint is applied with a brush or roller. Open time is a key performance vector for paint and coatings, especially for better one coat hiding. In waterborne or latex coatings, the film formation phenomena controls that mainly controls open time. Currently formulators use a co-solvent or coalescent which slows down the evaporation of water during the film drying process to increase open time. However, these glycol solvents contribute to the volatile organic content (VOC) and this is a serious issue since the goal of most formulations is zero VOC. In addition, the type and amount of coalescent may lower the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the binder, leading to a softer film which improves resistance to cracking but negatively affects dirt pick up.
The pigment dispersant polymer is key to keep pigments from agglomerating, promoting stability of the final product and avoiding syneresis or pigment precipitation during storage. The structure generated in the formulation by the pigment dispersion is also key to improving water resistance and obtaining good color development. Now, consider a multi-function pigment dispersant that provides properties to improve the application.
This presentation will discuss the benefits with a novel pigment dispersant polymer for zero VOC architectural paints. This novel dispersant eliminates the need for a glycol (co-solvent or coalescent) as well as a defoamer in the grind step. The resulting formulation incorporating this novel dispersant improves film formation, open time, freeze/thaw stability, color development, water and corrosion resistance, while lowering the total formulation cost.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Celia Regina Szcypula Buono
Company/Organization: Nouryon Performance Chemicals LLC

To remain competitive and meet the increasing demands of customers and consumers, the coatings industry will need to accelerate its transition to the lab of the future. A crucial step towards this transition is the digital transformation of your lab, which will enable you to expedite discoveries and breakthroughs, and future-proof your organization.
During this session attendees will benefit from learning about the key considerations and potential pitfalls associated with the digital transformation journey including the difference between digitalization and digitization, and why this distinction matters. The discussion will also focus on specific goals and outcomes for all stakeholders, including opportunities around increasing efficiency, accuracy, and speed in research and development, improving collaboration, and enhancing decision-making capabilities. Additionally, best practices for implementation and successful adoption of digital technologies in the lab will be discussed.
Whether you’re just exploring the benefits of digitally transforming your R&D organization or have already embarked on this journey, this session will provide key insights to support your initiative towards helping modernize your lab in order to achieve better results.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Nick Talken - Co-Founder and CEO
Company/Organization: Albert Invent

Heat is the number one weather-related killer, greatly outstripping hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, and blizzards. The impacts of heat are intensified by the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which occurs when cities are hotter than surrounding rural and suburban areas. Urban warming is a critical challenge that negatively impacts human health, energy use, air quality, social equity, and economic prosperity.

Architectural coatings play an important role in mitigating the UHI effect by reflecting solar radiation away from buildings rather than absorbing it. By efficiently reflecting sunlight and emitting absorbed heat, so-called “cool” exterior walls maintain a lower surface temperature, improve occupant comfort and safety, and reduce the demand for air conditioning, which decreases the building’s contribution to peak demand, greenhouse gas emissions, and the UHI effect.

This presentation will summarize recent research on cool exterior walls and explore codes, standards, and programs that promote their use. The presentation will also describe methods for evaluating the “coolness” of architectural coatings, including laboratory testing and natural weathering; provide examples of current technologies for increasing coating solar reflectance; and explore how reflective coatings can play a role in paint companies’ sustainability efforts.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Audrey McGarrell - Project Manager
Company/Organization: Cool Roof Rating Council

The Coatings industry faces increasingly strict VOC regulations, particularly for floor coatings in the Architectural & Industrial Maintenance sector. As VOC limits nationwide trend towards zero, performance requirements have not loosened, with customers demanding higher performance from low to zero VOC coatings.
Highly crosslinked floor coatings based on aliphatic polyurethane/polyurea (PU) are the most effective solutions for this regulatory environment. Resin types enabling formulation of high-performance VOC-compliant PU floor coatings include polyol dispersions, polyurethane dispersions, moisture-curable polyurethanes, and polyaspartic amines.
An innovative water-based polyester polyol dispersion has been developed for 2-component (2K) waterborne ambient-cure polyurethane coatings. A study compares this technology to competing PU technologies across various substrates, considering factors such as VOC, appearance, durability, weatherability, chemical resistance, stain resistance, adhesion, ease of use, and total cost. The new water-based polyester demonstrated a unique combination of attributes that compares favorably overall to the other technologies. We also tested hybrid systems, i.e. combinations of the new polyester dispersion with acrylic-PU, PUD, and polyaspartic-PU, in order to determine compatibility and synergies.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Ashish Zore - Research and Development Chemist
Company/Organization: COIM-USA

New engineered mineral offerings have been developed over the last two years which are changing how traditional coatings are being formulated. Specifically, recent research and development have discovered silica based mineral offerings that have promising pigmentary properties in surface coatings. This presentation will focus on one promising application of an innovative bright white mineral used in “cool roof” coatings. Cool roofing is a highly engineered surface coating for flat and low-slope roofs. These cool coatings act as a weather barrier while at the same time reflecting solar energy thereby reducing energy costs for the building.

Based on the unique physical and chemical properties of these new white pigments, formulators can improve the performance of the coating, as well as cost reduction. This presentation reveals data that coatings with innovative white pigments will outperform several pigment extenders in a waterborne acrylic elastomeric roof coating. Specifically, weatherability, substrate adhesion, particle dispersion, and solar reflectance are improved. Also, these new white pigments have high surface energy which will promote particle dispersion and stabilization. Finally, these new white minerals are translatable into other applications including cementitious, polymeric, and catalytic support systems.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Jim Will - Technical Consultant for U. S Silica Holdings, Inc.
Company/Organization: Will Power Consulting

Dispersing- & wetting agents are essential to formulate aqueous paint- and coating systems. With the transition from non-aqueous towards aqueous formulations in demanding applications it is essential to select additives that do not negatively impact secondary coating performance parameters.

The presentation will discuss the development and use of modern additive solutions to eliminate the negative influence of wetting- and dispersing agents. The focus is made to the impact on the stain- and corrosion resistance of aqueous coating systems.

A look into the compositional details of the additives and their impact on these resistance properties of a final system along with practical results and formulation development for state-of-the-art aqueous wood coatings and metal primer will be shown.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Detlef van Pey
Company/Organization: CLiQ SwissTech

Although protective coatings are frequently used to improve the durability and aesthetics of concrete/masonry substrates, robust coating adhesion is difficult to achieve. The inconsistent coating adhesion is likely due to the complex concrete surface properties and inherent variances between concrete substrates. In this presentation, we employed several analytical techniques to understand the adhesion failure mechanism and identified that the cohesive failure in concrete surface layer was the main root cause for poor adhesion. Guided by this mechanistic understanding, we developed a one-part waterborne hybrid technology capable of penetrating and fortifying the loosely bonded concrete surface layer. The resulting hybrid technology exhibited robust adhesion on a wide range of challenging concrete and inorganic substrates, demonstrating its advantages compared to conventional one-part coating chemistry (e.g., latex or one-part epoxy).

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Dr. Lei Yang - Scientist
Company/Organization: Arkema Inc.

Heat is the number one weather-related killer, greatly outstripping hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, and blizzards. The impacts of heat are intensified by the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which occurs when cities are hotter than surrounding rural and suburban areas. Urban warming is a critical challenge that negatively impacts human health, energy use, air quality, social equity, and economic prosperity.

Architectural coatings play an important role in mitigating the UHI effect by reflecting solar radiation away from buildings rather than absorbing it. By efficiently reflecting sunlight and emitting absorbed heat, so-called “cool” exterior walls maintain a lower surface temperature, improve occupant comfort and safety, and reduce the demand for air conditioning, which decreases the building’s contribution to peak demand, greenhouse gas emissions, and the UHI effect.

This presentation will summarize recent research on cool exterior walls and explore codes, standards, and programs that promote their use. The presentation will also describe methods for evaluating the “coolness” of architectural coatings, including laboratory testing and natural weathering; provide examples of current technologies for increasing coating solar reflectance; and explore how reflective coatings can play a role in paint companies’ sustainability efforts.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Ray Fernando, PhD - Chair in Coatings Technology and Ecology at Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Cal Poly SLO
Company/Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

To adopt a new raw material or make a formulation change to an exterior paint product line, several years of real-world performance data is often required to build enough confidence to make the change. Accelerated decisions are often explored through the use of artificial light exposure such as QUV and WOM. Another approach is to use strategic exposure design. Exposure design will be explored to investigate how specific properties can be evaluated in an accelerated manner through the use of specific location/direction/substrate combinations. Case studies for specific properties will be reviewed.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Dr. Heather Eckenrode-Stiffler - Global Technical Leader of Exterior Coatings Exposure Capabilities
Company/Organization: The Dow Chemical Company

Advances in color and appearance measurement, utilizing multi-angle spectrophotometers with integrated image capture, is enabling remote quality control and visualization of complex materials.

We will explore how portable devices enabled to measure SVBRDF (Spatially Varying Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) can be used to control multiple attributes that are important to the coatings industry, these will include sub-surface properties such as sparkle, flip & flop that are common to car paints with effect coatings, and surface properties such as roughness and texture that impact the visual appearance of structured coatings.

We will also describe how material properties can be communicated throughout a workflow starting from design visualization through the supply chain and quality control.

Comparison will be given how the adoption of a digital workflow helps in the reduction of wasteful iterations in the design, prototyping, manufacture and quality control processes, supporting sustainability goals and cost reduction.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Thomas Meeker - 3D Solution Architect
Company/Organization: X-Rite

Long-lasting exterior coatings are highly desired for residential and commercial buildings. Silicone polymers are well known for their very low surface energy, high hydrophobicity and UV stability, along with their flexible backbones which can support a wide range of organic functional groups. They are outstanding candidates for enhancing surface properties of organic systems; however, traditional silicones face challenges in exterior waterborne coatings due to incompatibility, surface blooming and poor dirt pickup due to their inert and soft nature.

This paper introduces functional silicone additives that are highly compatible and reactive that find utility in acrylic-based waterborne exterior architectural coatings. These specialized, cross-linked additives enable formulators to develop highly durable coatings with exceptional hydrophobicity/water-beading, weatherability, anti-blocking and surfactant leaching resistance. The study focuses on examining how these functional silicones can enhance coating performance over time, without sacrificing other desired properties. Mechanisms along with advantages that these functional silicone additives provide to premium coating systems will also be discussed.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Stephanie Yates - Advanced Application Development Engineer
Company/Organization: Momentive Performance Materials

Adhesion poses an ongoing challenge in the UV curing coating industry as it directly impacts the durability of the coating, potentially resulting in increased costs. The diverse chemical compositions of various substrates make it difficult to find a single resin that can effectively adhere to multiple types of substrates. However, Double Bond Chemical has successfully developed a specialized UV-curable oligomer. Through careful manipulation of functional groups in the molecular structure and precise control of the polymer’s molecular weight, our innovation has led to remarkable adhesion performance on various plastic substrates including PC, PMMA, and ABS, as well as traditionally difficult-to-adhere substrates such as glass and metal. Additionally, the chemical structure of our oligomer also boasts low viscosity, further enhancing its application versatility.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Wade Wang - Regional Sales Manager
Company/Organization: Double Bond Chemical USA

The latest developments in 100% solids, zero VOC dispersants allow for excellent handling properties while still maintaining exceptional pigment and particle dispersion capabilities. The unique combination of novel polymer-chain technology and innovative pigment anchor chemistries enable easy handling at 100% solids with greater formulation flexibility and universality than lower solids dispersants. The hazards of solvents are removed, and transport and manufacturing efficiency are improved, reducing overall carbon footprint and improving ease of use. Novel 100% active aqueous dispersants are flowable at room temperature and benefit from simpler regulatory and labelling scrutiny through elimination of biocides. In non-aqueous and UV-cure applications, 100% active dispersants can help reduce overall VOC, broaden dispersant compatibility with solvents and monomers, and allow for greater formulator flexibility. Strong color performance can be achieved in pigment dispersions with equal or better performance compared to lower solids alternatives. This presentation will highlight recent advances in 100% active hyperdispersant technology for aqueous and non-aqueous coatings and the performance thereof.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Matt Dunn - Technical Manager
Company/Organization: Lubrizol Advanced Materials

Waterborne wood coatings are a growing area of focus to meet regulatory demands and provide alternatives to traditional solvent-based coatings. This, however, requires performance features to rival solvent-based coatings. We present herein a specific polymer technology approach which has enabled the development of a waterborne emulsion product with characteristics that push waterborne closer to solvent borne performance. The development of this specific technology and process has enabled 150g/L VOC formulating while maintaining high hardness development, high chemical resistance and toughness, and in-can wet film clarity which provide a solvent like look and performance while being waterborne technology. Although we see high performance as a sole binder, toughness and scratch resistance can be improved even further with the addition of a PUD blend. We present herein the assessment of this improved waterborne technology for wood coating performance.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Jonathan Wattras - Technical Specialist
Company/Organization: BASF

Cloud computing has been around for well over 2 decades. Despite the data demonstrating the benefits of higher efficiency and reduced cost, many paint manufactures continue to operate without it. But this trend is changing, quickened by the COVID pandemic, some tech-savvy players are recognizing the many benefits of cloud-based solutions.
In this presentation, we will address 5 main areas where cloud-based color management solutions can allow you to run your operations more efficiently, better serve your customers, and increase your overall profitability.
We will share insights gathered from industry interviews, identify opportunities for implementation, and present use cases in the areas of:
– eCommerce
– Integration
– Data Analytics
– IT operations
– Lab management
Whether you have already started your cloud implementation, or are just considering the possibilities, join us to explore what a cloud-based color management solution can do for you.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Jason Loehr - Global Product Manager
Company/Organization: Datacolor

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies in the lab continues to build momentum, with proven applications that are facilitating breakthroughs in industries such as biotech. When it comes to the coatings industry, what is the value and opportunity surrounding AI and ML, and are there barriers and critical success factors that need to be accounted for to ensure AI fulfills its promise?
In this informative discussion, participants will gain an understanding of the overall framework of AI and ML, including the separation of hype from reality regarding these technologies as they are applied to the coatings industry. The presentation will explore specific use cases and key learnings in the use of AI for formulation and experimentation, including how it can help accelerate the development of new products and optimize existing ones. Additionally, the discussion will cover trends and key considerations for the successful implementation and usage of AI and ML in the coatings industry. This includes a discussion of data quality and availability, and the importance of collaboration between scientists and data experts.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Jonathan Welch - Head of Data Science
Company/Organization: Albert Invent

Making sure that your architectural project has the perfect color match is essential for a successful outcome. That’s why many companies and retail outlets use color match systems to streamline the paint color selection and dispensing process. However, due to recent issues with the supply chain, accuracy in color matching is even more important now than ever before. To ensure that the color you’re selecting is the one that will be applied, a database refresh may be in order. In addition, if you’ve recently switched pigment or colorant suppliers, a database refresh is an essential step in ensuring accuracy when it comes to color matching.
A refresh of your database can help improve accuracy when it comes to matching colors. This can be achieved by synchronizing your system with the latest pigment formulation and tinting technology from your supplier. By reviewing both the hardware and software components of your system, you can make sure that the color match will be accurate.

A database refresh can offer:
• Better accuracy
• Up-to-date formulations
• Fewer mis-tints
• Competitive formula lookup
• Trending colors with known formulas (such as whites, grays, and beiges)
• Happier customers

We will discuss the importance and process for refreshing a formulation database while outlining the many key benefits.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Greg Shrider - Vice President, Head of Key Accounts
Company/Organization: BYK-Gardner USA

Stabilizing pigments in water-based paint systems is a complex process that requires a highly robust pigment dispersion due to the need for compatibility in different coatings systems.
This paper evaluates the development of surfactant molecules for use as a carbon black pigment dispersant. To determine the best conditions for stabilization, compatibility and performance of the pigment dispersion, variations in the size of the polymeric chain that make up the tail of the surfactant were made and tested.
The effect of nonionic tail length (ethoxylation) in the dispersant and the effect of amount of the dispersant in the formulation of the pigment concentrate were tested, and data will be presented.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Michael Praw - Technical Service and Development Manager
Company/Organization: Indorama Ventures

Imagine being able to eliminate almost all VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) in your manufacturing process equaling 10,000’s of pounds of VOC’s per year. Also imagine producing at faster speeds with more through-put and less cost per part / linear foot.
Sustainable Manufacturing Processes are key to drive towards more efficient and optimized manufacturing in the North American Marketplace. Sustainability can be measured a variety of ways, which are outlined below:

– VOC reduction
– Less energy usage
– Optimized Labor workforce
– Faster manufacturing output – more with Less
– More efficient use of capital
– Plus, many combinations of above listed measurements

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Michael Kelly - Chief Customer Officer
Company/Organization: Allied UV

Traditionally, paint manufacturers have relied on familiar acrylic and vinyl acrylic technology to serve the architectural coatings market. That all began to change in the 1960s with the advent of vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymers, a combination whose chemistry has delighted formulators with optimal interior performance ever since. Now synthesis chemists are discovering the versatility of ethylene as a building block, generating a broader application range for VAEs beyond this well-established niche. An exploration of the levers available in designing these polymers, including choice of stabilization system and the addition of functional monomers, allows for an understanding of how they can be tailored for high performance in a variety of specialty coatings applications.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Corinne Walden - Coatings Chemist
Company/Organization: Wacker Chemical Corporation

Speaker: Lori Sabo - Technical Manager
Company/Organization: Wacker Chemical America Co., Ltd

A transition is underway where the derivation of sustainable claims at the end of product development as an afterthought will soon be outdated. Development of more sustainable products requires a shift in mindset of formulators from changing materials and processes which solve a specific problem (a “performance alone” mindset) to a more comprehensive view that considers upstream and downstream environmental, ecological, and human impacts of those materials and processes. The use of Life Cycle Assessment to quantifiably compare products or systems is often proposed as a solution, though it is fraught with challenges from being resource intensive to yielding vastly different results based on the assumptions made. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has established a framework that allows the industry working through an open stakeholder process to define what is meant by more sustainable paint. This work will review the ISO framework and then present the results of a very recent rigorous comparative LCA just completed in accordance with the ISO framework. This will enable researchers and marketers to have greater confidence in the validity of product sustainable claims.

Location: Champagne 3 & 4

Speaker: Paul Doll - Principal Scientist
Company/Organization: The Dow Chemical Company

Aluminum pigments are used in Industrial coatings to provide visual effects such as sparkle and silver brightness and also to provide functional performance such as heat resistance, chemical resistance, and corrosion resistance. Optimal performance from flake pigments depends on complete dispersion of the pigment paste into the coating system. Typically, the dispersion process takes extra time and steps that are not routine in the paint making process. There is a need for a more easily dispersed Aluminum pigment. This presentation evaluates new pigment treatments to make Aluminum flake pigments easily dispersible. Evaluations will include the following in typical waterborne and solventborne paint chemistries: 1) ease of dispersibility as measured by time to disperse and film appearance after dispersion. 2) brightness, appearance, and gloss in the dry film. 3) gassing and pH stability in WB paint.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Jon Lawniczak - Market and Technical Service Manager
Company/Organization: ECKART America

Covia, a leader in industrial minerals and micronized filler solutions for coatings and polymers, is offering new functional mineral filler concepts in 2023 based on recent innovations and application development. A new domestically produced ultra-white and lower density durable silica is available for increasing coating whiteness, solar reflectance, and conservation of TiO2, while lowering density and increasing durability versus conventional offerings. The product details, formulation and application development data will be presented in cool white elastomeric roof coatings.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Scott Van Remortel - Product Manager & Innovation
Company/Organization: Covia Corp.

A series of reactive Q and T resins, Si(OR)4 and R’(SiOR)3 based units respectively, are formulated with reactive silicone polymers. The systems are evaluated in various fabric, leather, or hard surface treatments primarily for water and oil repellency. Release and protection properties are also evaluated in basic coatings systems.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Bob Ruckle - Global Marketing and Sales Director
Company/Organization: Siltech Corporation

Review of the potential for Static Electricity and the hazard presented when mixing, handling and transfer flammable materials. Paints and coatings industry must manage static when mixing and moving material in the manufacture of their products. Review of the options available in the market for controlling static electricity from proper simple mechanical clamps to monitoring systems with visual indication and monitoring systems with visual indication and interlocks for process control. Interlocks offering the greatest protection from human error. Experience and options seen installed in paint kitchens and manufacturing facilities.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Richard Puig - Product Manager
Company/Organization: Newson Gale

The need for new resins and polymers that allow formulators to generate coatings in compliance with changing environmental and sustainability regulations is crucial for today’s market. Whether chemists are formulating for wood, concrete, or metal, it is important that the new technologies perform similarly or in most cases outperform current benchmarks. This presentation will highlight the various advancements in Lubrizol’s resins and polymers that are APEO and formaldehyde free, allow for lower VOC formulations or have high (50%) renewable content. Reviewing data generated in industry related formulations, we will focus on how these polymers maintain and enhance the chemical and stain resistance, adhesion, appearance, and other application properties while enabling formulations to pass the most stringent regulations and demand for “environmentally-conscientious” products.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Kent Maghacut - Technical Marketing Manager
Company/Organization: Lubrizol Advanced Materials

Antistatic additives in coatings reduce or eliminate electrostatic charge, preventing associated problems such as processing issues, safety hazards, and electrical defects. By enhancing conductivity, the charge dissipates quickly and safely, protecting sensitive electronic equipment from electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage.

Antistatic additives are essential to ensure safe and efficient processing and handling of materials and equipment. Antistatic additives for coatings include conductive materials (e.g., carbon black, metal powders), surfactants (e.g., quaternary ammonium salts), humectants (e.g., glycols, glycerin), and ionic liquids. The choice of antistatic additive will depend on the specific requirements of the coating and the application.

Factors such as the substrate material, the desired level of conductivity, and the processing conditions will all need to be considered when selecting an appropriate antistatic additive.
The most commonly used antistatic additives in coating and adhesive applications are ammonium salts, which have several issues such as high toxicity to aquatic life with long-lasting effects, skin sensitivity, and corrosion to metals.

Clariant is currently developing antistatic additives that have a superior toxicological profile compared to ammonium salts, as well as free from amine and amide. The novel antistatic solution is based on renewable resources and can be used in high transparency coating and adhesive applications. This study will present the latest findings on this new development.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Dr. Mouhcine Kanouni - Senior Business Development Manager
Company/Organization: Clariant Corporation

Research is constantly occurring in the coatings industry. Despite the prevalence of RD&I activity, due to the mature nature of the industry, obtaining a patent on a new coating formulation that is a unique blend of existing raw materials may be challenging. Effectively capturing and managing intellectual property in this unique environment is not accomplished with a one-size-fits-all approach. To complicate matters further, joint development projects between coating manufactures and raw material suppliers are becoming increasingly common – and this collaboration creates another unique set of issues. This presentation, intended for management and senior R&D chemists, will provide guidance on establishing a spectrum of intellectual property procedures that can be implemented based on actual business conditions.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Daniel Chojnowski - Patent Attorney and Chairman
Company/Organization: Howard & Howard Attorneys

There may not be the appropriate words to describe what the coatings world has been through since the end of 2018 to date and the situation is ongoing. How does the technical groups manage in such a climate? How is it decided what requires lab work? Who participates in the project planning and execution? How is it resourced? What important processes come to the forefront in these critically and time sensitive times? What role does sustainability play? Development and innovation still occurred; how is that possible? Has the last two years changed the culture in technical? This presentation will cover these topics and breakdown the technical buckets that need attention.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Jerry Powers - Technical Manager, Americas
Company/Organization: Vibrantz Technologies

As sustainability continues to be a focus for the coatings industry, Arkema places sustainable development solutions at the heart of its innovation policy and the evolution of its product offering.
The characteristics and key benefits of two new sustainable additives will be highlighted in comparison to market standard polyurethane thickeners.
These two offerings, one Newtonian (for high-shear control) and one balanced (for mid-shear control) thickener, are new sustainable tools for developing bio-based decorative and industrial paints and coatings. They will help formulators select the best materials to reach their performance and sustainability targets.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Haksu Lee - North America Technical Manager
Company/Organization: Arkema

The cost of corrosion accounts for over 3% of the global GDP, making protective coatings an essential need in the global economy. Sustainability, once an idealistic concept, has become the driver of every company’s strategic action plan to meet the needs of their customers and the planet. The measurement of business success has gone beyond a mere measurement of profit, but also considers the efforts to address ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues. Incremental improvements in sustainability will lead to a long-term transformation of coatings solutions. One way a coatings manufacturer can address ESG is by eliminating their dependance on toxic corrosion inhibitors. Selection of non-toxic, regulatory compliant additives will reduce exposure for its employees, end-users, and the environment. Non-toxic corrosion inhibitors can replace traditional chemistries and maintain coating performance while creating a more sustainable product. Demonstration of these products in several applications will be presented.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Tanya Hunter - Project Chemist
Company/Organization: ICL

This presentation will introduce attendees to a novel approach to surface protection using nanocomposite wax additives. The talk will begin with a summary of the current regulatory activity regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including PTFE, a commonly used component of many surface coating additives. Performance data will be presented that demonstrates improved coating properties, including surface durability (scratch and abrasion resistance) and lubricity equal to or superior to PTFE based additives.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: John McAllister - Director of Global Sales
Company/Organization: Micro Powders Inc.

A greater focus on sustainability has recently highlighted the development trends to increase the functional lifespan of coatings. In the coating industry, abrasion creates significant financial losses. Abrasion is a complex concept involving different mechanical processes such as marring, wearing, or scratching. The resistance of coating material to these processes is called abrasion resistance. In this study, several types of additives are used in different waterborne coatings to better understand the abrasion resistance of these systems. The additive types used are structure-modified fumed silica, precipitated spherical silica, functionalized colloidal silica, organo-modified siloxane polymers, and co-binders with high glass transition temperature values. Different accelerated testing methods are used to study the abrasion and mechanical resistance of these coatings. The effects of these additives on the resulting abrasion resistance and durability of the prepared coatings are investigated in detail.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Ali Javadi, PhD - Senior Scientist, Industrial & Transportation Coatings - Americas
Company/Organization: Evonik Corporation

With digital technologies gaining traction in the materials industry, the traditional workflows for generating and testing paint formulations also continues to evolve. Many critical coating performance attributes are rated visually by researchers to quantify film performance. This approach can be prone to user subjectivity and inconsistency due to limitations of human visual perception and variable assessment conditions. The Dow Coating Materials team has been developing digital workflows to address how visual properties are captured, processed, and referenced for coatings applications. Modern image capture technology coupled with controlled lighting standardizes the collection of visual data into a digital format, with relevant experimental context and metadata tagged in acquired images. Sophisticated processing algorithms leverage these images for robust, quantifiable analysis and produce ratings devoid of user subjectivity. Here we discuss the use of a holistic digital infrastructure using computer vision for select coatings applications. The deployment of such digital tools improves the data quality for impacted test methods and promotes improved access to this visual data through a standardized data format stored in a centralized database.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Jonathan DeRocher - Senior TS&D Scientist
Company/Organization: Dow

Mold growth due to condensation of water is a common issue in homes and industrial settings, particularly in bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. Anti-condensation coatings are applied as primers or topcoats to eliminate condensation and are also used on water pipes, shipping containers, and metal roofs. These coatings are formulated using functional additives with high surface area that absorb condensation and release moisture in a controlled manner. The pore structure of these additives can hold up to 200 times more water by weight, facilitating even water distribution and rapid evaporation. This technology has shown to absorb 60% more condensation compared to coatings without functional additives. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the functional additive technology used in anti-condensation coatings, review water absorption and release data along with the characterization of these coatings. Overall, formulating anti-condensation coatings with functional additives can be an effective solution to prevent mold growth and damage caused by excess moisture in various settings.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Shruti Agarkar - Senior Polymer Scientist
Company/Organization: Imerys

Climate change is presenting increased challenges for consumers, governments, and companies to consider the sustainable impact of the global products produced and consumed across all industries. For the architectural industry, this challenge creates an opportunity to bring more sustainable solutions to the market. Sustainable solutions require consideration of land and water impact, but at the forefront of the climate crisis challenge is the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to curb the greenhouse gas effect.
One solution is Biomass Balance (BMB) products which use renewable feedstocks in the upstream value chain to offset the use of fossil resources. This 3rd party certified approach significantly reduces the net CO2 equivalent emissions, a key GHG, from raw material feedstocks. When compared to alternative biobased value chains, BMB can not only provide greater reduction of CO2 eq. emissions but can also have a net reduction in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) factors, such as land and water use. Further, the BMB approach allows flexibility to utilize sustainable materials in various parts of the value chain without disrupting the performance of coatings raw materials.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Nicholas Foley, PhD - R/D Manager for Architectural Coatings
Company/Organization: BASF Corporation

Coatings for vinyl windows are becoming a more popular option for residential housing and allows the homeowner to match the windows to the trim and doors for enhanced aesthetics.
This market has been traditionally served by two component waterborne polyurethane coatings. However, market surveys indicated a need for a single component system with the same performance attributes as the incumbent system.
Covestro has developed a one-component solution based on a polyurethane dispersion / acrylic that yields a coating that can pass AAMA 615 standard. This presentation will detail the iterations of this research that lead to the one component solution.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Todd Williams - Product and Tech Service - Coatings, Adhesives & Specialties
Company/Organization: Covestro, LLC

Chemical regulatory issues are causing challenges across the value chain in the paint and coatings industry. A common sense, proactive strategy for all manufacturers is essential because there is no sign of relief anytime soon. In fact, we should expect and prepare for even more change in the future.

In this presentation, I will discuss chemicals currently under review and provide predictions for what the industry is likely to see in the near future. I will review the global regulatory outlook for key chemicals such as NMP, and PFAS (per- & polyfluoroalkyl substances), with a focus on State and Federal implications. I will also touch on the newest developments in North America and share easy strategies for adapting to ongoing regulatory change.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Michael Goedeker - Head of Regulatory Affairs
Company/Organization: BYK USA Inc.

Many coatings formulators are now having to find alternatives to fluorosurfactants responding to potential or increased regulations. Lack of availability of mainstream technology is also another major reason for many to seek alternates. Reformulation can be difficult, due to the unique multifunctional properties and chemical stability of the fluorosurfactants, so often replacement is not 1:1.
Fluorosurfactants are relatively low molecular weight additives containing fully (per) or partially (poly) fluorinated carbon chains connected to different functional groups. These additives are highly efficient at lowering the surface tension of liquid coatings to improve wetting of substrates and eliminate film defects. They can also improve the stain and chemical resistance of coatings and improve slip and mar resistance.
Formulators seeking alternatives to fluorosurfactants need to consider all the potential effects that these additives can bring to a formulation and then identify alternatives that can provide similar performance. This paper will compare different additive families and review how these additives or combinations of additives can be used to replace fluorosurfactants when needed.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Dr. Ingrid Meier - Head of Applied Research & Technology, Decorative Coatings Americas
Company/Organization: Evonik Corporation

The demand for lithium compounds is expected to grow strongly due to its consumption in electric vehicle batteries and mobile devices. Lithium compound supply will become tighter and prices will continue to increase. IMCD experts have found a solution based on non-scarce resources that resembles the acceleration of lithium compounds in fast setting ternary dry mortars. In this Experts4Experts solution talk, we share with you the benefits of this innovative product and examine key parameters of Hombicure containing formulations such as setting time, shelf life stability as well as mechanical performance development. We will report on the latest results of testing and application

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Joel Lykins - Business Development Manager
Company/Organization: IMCD United States

The introduction of several green building standards, many of which were developed without industry input, has led to confusion in the marketplace as to what attributes qualify the paints and coatings industry for certification with these programs. In response, ACA began working with NSF International to develop sustainability standard for architectural coatings to establish a consistent approach in evaluating and determining sustainable architectural coating products. ACA’s Sustainability Program for Architectural Coatings is now publicly available. ACA’s Sustainability Program for Architectural Coatings is a multi-attribute sustainability product standard that intends to enable organizations throughout the architectural coating supply chain to apply product performance requirements to achieve sustainable attributes and demonstrate compliance with levels of achievement through quantifiable metrics. ACA’s Director of Sustainability, Katherine Berry, will provide an update on the state of sustainability within the coatings industry while showcasing ACA’s Sustainability Program for Architectural Coatings.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Katherine Berry - Director of Sustainability and Environment
Company/Organization: American Coatings Association (ACA)

The architectural coatings market continues to develop higher performing broad wall coatings to satisfy the customer desire for ease of application, smoothness of roller pattern, one coat applied hide, and a faster return to service. Achieving this balance of application properties requires a focus on the rheology modifier design. In recent years, developments in hydrophobically-modified ethylene-oxide urethane (HEUR) rheology modifier technology have demonstrated improved application performance with adequate formulation economics. This talk will discuss Dow’s newest innovation on a next generation HEUR to build viscosity of broad wall formulations in the medium shear range. Through judicious design of the polymer architecture, the HEUR exhibits high thickening efficiency across a variety of binder chemistries. It also strikes an excellent balance between sag resistance and flow and leveling, thereby achieving the desired application properties for the consumer. Furthermore, the HEUR is preserved without the addition of biocides such as isothiazolinones, delivering a more sustainable choice than traditional HEURs in the market by removing a chemical of concern.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Dr. Sipei Zhang
Company/Organization: The Dow Chemical Company

There are increasing demands for higher performance, more sustainable coatings employing more natural materials with substantial health, safety, and environmental properties. To address those challenges raw material suppliers and coatings manufacturers are increasingly turning to water-based solutions of that require efficient, environmentally friendly emulsion technologies. The science behind key wax and silicone emulsion technologies to meet these needs will be presented. Having a fundamental understanding of emulsion principles provides for more effective development when designing high performance coating raw materials.

A new wax emulsion technology will be presented that utilizes paraffin-free, natural waxes with surfactant packages that produce extremely high regulatory compliance formulations. These novel barrier additives provide water and oil repellency, block resistance and water beading while reducing or even preventing water vapor permeability. New silicone low cyclic content gum emulsions which will also be presented that also have high regulatory clearances. These low VOC, low cyclic content silicone additives provide slip, haptic properties and resistance to water, scratching, abrasion, and blocking.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Bruce Berglund - Business Development and Technical Support Manager
Company/Organization: CHT USA

This presentation will give an overview over the tools and techniques that are used to assess coating failures. Two prominent and powerful techniques are Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine the type of coating, the presence of contamination and corrosion / degradation and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to identify inorganic components in or between coating layers. Other techniques include mechanical testing, such as pull-off- and tape adhesion test, as well as optical microscopy.
The presentation will include case studies of coating failures that we analyzed in our lab and demonstrate how these tools were used to determine the cause of coating failure.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Alexander Okrut, PhD
Company/Organization: Acuren Inspection, Inc.

As interest in sustainable coatings continues to increase, so does the number and degree of fragmentation of sustainability standards and strategies in the marketplace. As it pertains to coatings formulations, sustainability is a very broad umbrella covering a multitude of materials and attributes to avoid or eliminate in order to preserve the health of humans, other living organisms, and our planet. However, there is at least one category of preferred materials, the use of which is also promoted by the US government. These materials with bio-based content are preferentially made from renewable, biogenic carbon sources rather than petroleum-derived sources. A snapshot of major standards and materials applicable to sustainable coatings is given, followed by examples of defoamers, dispersants, wetting agents, waxes, and rheology modifiers with substantial renewable content and no compromise in performance, with detailed chemistry of the molecular moieties that can be optimized in each additive category. In many cases, multiple sustainability objectives can be realized in the same product through judicious raw material selection.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Kelly Moran - Applications Chemist
Company/Organization: MÜNZING North America

Typical requirements for waterproofing coatings are high tensile strength with good elasticity as well as good reflectivity and UV resistance. As these types of coatings are often exposed to ponded water, high water resistance is essential.

General challenges related to the formulation of elastomeric waterproofing coatings with traditional thickeners, such as with cellulosics (HEC), are linked to water absorption, sagging, storage stability as well as mud cracking. Cellulosics are also known to negatively affect skinning, leading to mud cracking of the film at higher wet film thicknesses.

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), is a biobased and multifunctional product made of cellulose, consisting of fibrils with lateral dimensions in the nanoscale and lengths up to micron scale. The unique property of MFC is its ability to significantly increase the low shear viscosity with minimal impact on mid shear (KU) and with no impact on the high shear (ICI). The addition of MFC to the formulation reduces the tendency for sagging and prevents mud cracking effectively, allowing application of high wet film thicknesses.

We will demonstrate how MFC improves the key properties of acrylic elastomeric roof coatings, such as tensile strength, water resistance and adhesion to concrete surfaces, compared to commonly used thickeners.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Otto Soidinsalo, PhD - Business Development Manager
Company/Organization: Borregaard

Surfactants are a key ingredient in coatings and adhesives formulations. They help build stabilities in emulsions, in dispersed inorganic fillers or pigments as well as impact relationship of a liquid to a substrate. Functional Alkylpolyglucosides, such as APG sulfonates, phosphates, carboxylates, glycinates, and their polymers have been used in personal care for decades because of their naturally derived content and general safety. However, their use in coatings applications has been unexplored until recently. In this presentation an overview of their structures, their use as surfactants for emulsion polymerization, use as effective pigment wetting and dispersing aids, and other topics will be explored.
Outline:
1. Use as surfactants for emulsion polymerization
– APG Sulfonates
– APG Phosphates
– APG Glycinates
– APG/SMO Crosspolymers
2. Use as inorganic filler or pigment wetting and dispersing agents
– APG Sulfonates
– APG Phosphates
– APG/SMO Crosspolymers

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Kathie Hacek - Market Manager CASE
Company/Organization: Colonial Chemical, Inc.

A commonly used method by coating companies to provide their customers with the widest range of colors of any paint technology is to offer a system of tint, neutral, and deep tone bases along with a line of colorants.
Unfortunately, current methods of rheological control in neutral and deep tone bases results in extreme viscosity drops of up to 50 KU’s when these bases are tinted with commercial colorants; at 12oz/116 oz base.
This presentation offers a new HUER rheology modifier that mitigates much of the observed viscosity drop of the current technology. This new modifier can replace currently used KU builders.
It has been successfully tested in deep and neutral bases at 12 oz colorant additions; incorporated both into colorant formulations added to conventional deep and neutral bases, as well as in the bases themselves in place of conventional HEUR rheology modifiers.
Additionally, post addition of this new rheological modifier to either base or colorant prior to tinting shows significantly less viscosity loss.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: John Du - Global VP of Technical Marketing and Business Development
Company/Organization: Patcham Ltd.

A key challenge of waterborne 2K PU coatings is the balance in incorporation of hydrophobic isocyanates, to control compatibility while also controlling the isocyanate demand. This is important in order to allow more sustainable options versus traditional solvent-based PU coatings. This presentation outlines an approach to generate compatibilization of isocyanates for high performance, high gloss WB 2K polyurethane coatings through “grafting aid separation” technology. This technology will highlight and demonstrate its application to a polyol dispersion, improving gloss and chemical resistance with the incorporation of hydrophobic isocyanates and pushing the WB 2K PU technology to a high-performance level. Evaluation of this formulation with this technology will focus on topcoat application.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Kyle Flack, PhD - Technical Team Leader
Company/Organization: BASF Corporation

Ethylene and propylene glycols are the two most popular and effective open time additives traditionally used for waterborne architectural coatings. Both are viewed as VOC contributors. With the increasing regulatory restriction on the use of high VOC paints, the needs to develop alternative open time additives with low or no VOC but provide similar or better performance become an urgent research and product development objective for the Paint & Coating applications. In this paper, the development of a new family of APEO-free open time additives that extend open time will be presented. The performance mechanism of several selected examples which have zero or extra-low VOC will be discussed. The performance was assessed in terms of open time extension and viscosity reduction at varied PVC level and film thickness using a list of internal and commercial paints with different binders and formulations. The results demonstrated these open time additives can significantly increase open time at as low as 0.5 to 2% dose level. In addition, these new open time additives can also benefit other paint properties such as scrub resistance and freeze/thaw stability. This new technology would provide a sustainable solution to the environmental challenge P&C industry is facing.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Kathryn Neely - Senior Application Development Chemist
Company/Organization: Arxada AG

Innovation in the coatings industry is being increasingly motivated by sustainability goals and environmental concerns. APEO-free surfactants are a current topic of interest in paints and coatings, enabling the formulator to meet sustainability goals and produce safer paints. However, reformulation of paints away from alkyl phenol ethoxylate (APEO)-containing surfactants can be a drawn-out process that can negatively impact the performance properties and stability of paints. This study uses material informatics (MI) and sequential learning (SL) to rapidly predict and formulate stable paints using newly introduced APEO-free surfactants. Domain knowledge is integrated into the sequential learning process to improve the modeling of the data and drive faster and more accurate candidates to test while still leveraging in-house subject matter expertise. Iterative improvement in formulation performance using sequential learning will be demonstrated, along with suggestions for R&D workflow incorporation and human-in-the-loop modeling best practices.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Dr. Erik Sapper - Assistant Professor
Company/Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Speaker: Tyler Bell - Account Executive
Company/Organization: Citrine Informatics

Coating industry trends has driven increased use and interest to develop more efficiency and durable thermal insulative coatings. The key areas for this expansion are to reduce corrosion under insulation, increase occupational safety and reduce energy loss. Key features of these water-based coatings are low thermal conductivity, high hydrophobicity and adhesion along with an emerging interest to have greater heat resistance and stability.
This paper will introduce a new water-based, silicone hybrid binder and two novel microporous composite granules; one with high thermal insulative efficiency and the other, a pure hydrophobic synthetic silica pearl shaped filler to optimize thermal insulation efficiency as well as offering mechanical stability and reduced cracking in these highly filled coatings. The new platform offers the formulator options to leverage all new technologies together or separately when a compatible binder is needed to increase thermal heat stability, and or new fillers are needed to achieve low thermal conductivity and improve mechanical stability by reducing cracking in highly filled coatings.
Coatings and formulating details will be highlighted.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Dr. Hrishkesh Bhide - Senior Scientist IV
Company/Organization: Evonik Corporation

Hollow, plastic microspheres (HPMS) are becoming increasingly common in the coating formulator’s toolbox and provide an enduring source of innovation for climate-resilient and sustainable products. In this study, the ability of HPMS to fully displace TiO2 in roof coating formulations is explored. Using the “foam optics” mechanism, HPMS provide solar reflectivity and wet hiding power to coatings, particularly in coatings formulated under the critical pigment volume content (CPVC). The “foam optics” mechanism is explained in this paper, and the effect on incoming solar light is illustrated. Compared to traditional fillers, this increased solar reflectivity is much higher in the near-infrared spectrum of solar light, while performing just as well in the UV-Vis spectrum. Due to their closed-cell, spherical shape, HPMS possess lower binder demand and oil absorption, offering a higher CPVC and exceptional flexibility to the formulator. Finally, this study offers guidance to further development in the HPMS space.”

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Eduardo De Luna - Commercial Head Technical Sales
Company/Organization: Coadtech

1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PDO) has been found to be useful building block component in polyurethanes as a of polyester and polyether polyols as well as a chain extender. In this study, two component (2K) waterborne PUDs were produced from PDO based polyester polyols (PDO-Adipate 2000 Mw, PDO-Sebacate 2000 Mw, and PDO-Dodecanedioate (C12) 2000 Mw) and a PDO derived polyether polyol (polytrimethylene ether glycol or PO3G) and applied onto five metal substrates to evaluate their performance and commercial viability for both direct-to-metal (DTM) coating and adhesive applications. The impact of PUDs based on PDO polyols was evaluated in terms of film properties, adhesive strength, coating adhesion, corrosion of metal substrates, and solvent resistance. Comparisons were made to reference 2K-PUDs based on conventional polyols including butanediol-adipate 2000 Mw polyester polyol, poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol 2000 Mw (PTMEG 2000), and Polycarbonate diol 2000 Mw.

The bio-based coatings prepared in this investigation provided useful physio-mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and water resistance compared to reference commercial petroleum based two-component (2K-PUDs). The results of this study show that PDO derived polyester polyols, while sustainable, also provide a favorable combination of performance properties in 2K-PUD systems, thus unlocking another approach for formulators to consider when developing 2K-PUDs for DTM applications as coatings and adhesives.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Sean L. Gahan - Technical Service Manager
Company/Organization: CovationBio PDO

In modern coating operations, temperature related viscosity variations can result in significant quality problems with film build, color match, surface finish, gloss, adhesion, etc. This is even more important to UV Cure coatings than it is to more conventional solventborne and waterborne systems, due to their steeper viscosity vs. temperature curve.
In this presentation we contrast the temperature critical properties of common UV coatings with their conventional counterparts and examine how these properties affect the two most common application methods: spraying and rolling. We show how to turn temperature from an adversary, working against the process, to a tool that can be utilized to assure that the outcomes of the UV coating process are both predictable and repeatable.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Michael R. Bonner - Vice President of Engineering & Technology
Company/Organization: Saint Clair Systems, Inc.

Abstract: Historically, floor coating industry has been mainly focusing on solvent-borne two-component (2K) systems, such as Epoxy, Polyurethane, and Polyaspartics; despite the high performance brought by these systems, the application process requires trained professionals, the raw materials cost more, and hazardous ingredients such as organic solvents are not eco-friendly. Here we studied high performance, easy-to-apply, and ultra-low VOC 1K and 2K waterborne floor coating systems, formulated with novel raw materials, and evaluated by industry-standard coating performance tests and hot-tire resistance test. We were able to achieve a wide range of gloss levels, from less than 10°gloss to more than 101°at 60°angle; the 2K system passed strict hot-tire resistance (HTR) tests, with extreme conditions include 100℃ hot tire and 35 lbs/in2 pressure which corresponds to pressure of large-size SUV exert onto a garage floor, while the 1K system showed comparable performances. The VOC level for gloss system is 7.15g/L and 1.96 g/L for matte finish, the 1K system has less than 10g/L VOC level. Both systems are easy to apply, 1K system is suitable for DIY applications with no requirement of professional training. The results are strong implementations of sustainable technologies in floor coating, and provide hints for future development of such technologies.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Lin Luo
Company/Organization: Wanhua Chemical America Co., Ltd

Waterborne acrylic polymers have evolved throughout the years to become a mainstay of the architectural and industrial coatings market. They offer excellent UV resistance, hydrolytic stability, good durability and multiple options for polymer design to meet various applications. While the properties of acrylics have significantly improved and their performance is similar to their solvent-borne counterparts, the demand for higher performance continues. Coatings formulators are faced with health, safety, air quality and odor concerns with paint formulas while maintaining a level of cost efficiency and SKU reduction. Further, consideration must be given to other raw material components that have been reformulated to meet VOC regulations. Considering these factors, recent development has focused on the design of a new acrylic with very low surfactant levels, multi-phase morphology and an optimized monomer composition for the best film properties. It has also been targeted to design a product with high versatility that can be applied to multiple substrates. This multi-purpose resin shows excellent performance in deep-base formulas where low to zero VOC colorants are used. It also shows excellent compatibility with polyurethane dispersions allowing formulators to deliver cost effective solutions to the market. This talk will explore the use of this new acrylic for interior gloss/semi-gloss coatings and for broader use in flooring applications. Coatings properties, test methods and formulation robustness will be discussed.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Dr. Terri Carson - Director of Technical Service and Quality Control
Company/Organization: Alberdingk Boley, Inc.

Polyurethane associative thickeners (HEURs) play a crucial role in waterborne coatings due to their ability to control rheology effectively. However, conventional HEUR thickeners, which are supplied in active aqueous solutions, have inherent drawbacks such as increased logistics expenses, potential microbial growth, and reliance on viscosity suppressants.
Recent advancements in the development and assessment of innovative solid HEUR thickeners in the form of polymer flakes aim to address the challenges posed by aqueous solutions. An extensive study was carried out on various waterborne coatings with diverse binders to determine the performance of these novel solid HEUR products. Findings indicate that the solid HEUR thickeners not only match the efficacy of traditional aqueous solutions when properly incorporated but also offer remarkable improvements in different aspects. These enhancements include optimized transportation and storage efficiency, reduced susceptibility to microbial contamination, and the ability to achieve desired pumpability without the need for costly suppressants.
The emergence of solid HEUR technology presents a promising alternative for waterborne coating formulations, contributing to the ongoing evolution of performance and sustainability in the coatings industry.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Dr. Justin Adams - R&D Group Leader
Company/Organization: BYK USA Inc.

Hydrophobic additives are a cornerstone in today’s high performing architectural paints and coatings. The interaction of water with construction materials is the main reasons damage can occur and refurbishment work becomes necessary. The use of hydrophobic agents in paints, coatings, plasters and building materials is imperative to provide protection against water and to improve the functionality of our homes. In this talk we will dive into the science behind emulsion technology while highlighting silicones and waxes role as hydrophobic agents. There seems to be endless options for waterborne hydrophobic additives in our industries and having a fundamental understanding of emulsion principles will allow us to become more effective while designing hydrophobic paints and coatings.

The combination of polysiloxane and silicone resin emulsions are commonly used for facade coating protection. Polysiloxanes are mainly responsible for the beading effect on surfaces, whereas silicone
resins drastically reduce the water uptake, while increasing the water vapor permeability at the same time. The other chemistry commonly used for hydrophobing are modified paraffin wax emulsions. With these waxes it is also possible to achieve a strong reduction of dirt pick-up and an increased early water resistance, especially when used in combination with silicone chemistries.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Cody Lindemulder - Business Development and Technical Support Manager
Company/Organization: CHT USA

Silicone resins are essential binders for high temperature coatings. Many current applications benefit from the high thermal stability of siloxane bonds, such as oven and stove paints, household appliances that generate large amounts of heat, vehicle exhaust systems and parts, etc. Coatings formulations continue to evolve and change as materials suppliers and formulators push cooperatively to improve film integrity and durability. We will discuss general guiding principles generated from multiple studies aimed at producing reproducible formulations, with a particular focus on the most demanding test protocols. Details on the balance of formula components will be discussed for both water and solvent-based systems, as well as novel binders that push existing boundaries in high temperature coatings applications.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Dr. Steven Kaganove - Chemist
Company/Organization: Wacker Chemical Corporation

The use of 100% bio-based renewable building blocks is more than ever a strategic choice producers make today to reduce dependency on fossil fuel and to reduce carbon footprint. Bio-based building blocks are challenged by the need of equal to better performance, price competitiveness, availability in large quantities and must be nature friendly. 1,3-propandediol is such a building block which can be used in a variety of coatings and paint applications. This paper will focus on explaining sustainability aspect of the feedstock and will showcase the potential applications as building block for 100% bio-based polyols, PU resins and several other usages resulting in bio-based solutions for future coatings or as a basic replacement for glycols and as bio-solvent.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Patrick Van Waes - Global Marketing Director
Company/Organization: Primient Covation LLC

Performance and sustainability aspects of novel crosslinkable polyurethane dispersions will be discussed by comparing the environmental impact of key resin and formulation components. Isocyanate-, aziridine- and hydrazide-based crosslinkers have the potential to significantly improve coating performance but are highly hazardous additives. In this paper, less reactive alternatives of the commonly used external crosslinkers will be evaluated on novel resin compositions that were designed to work more efficiently with these environmentally friendly performance enhancer additives. The polymers were also developed with low VOC requirement (less than 100 g/L US) to improve the formulation flexibility and productivity. The new resins could be utilized for exterior and interior protective applications due to their good weatherability, hydrolytic resistance, high gloss, hardness, and scratch resistance being on par with high performance 2K coatings.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Alec Krienen - Polymer Synthesis Chemist
Company/Organization: Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.

Exterior architectural coatings are subject to various forms of wear and weathering which must be considered when formulating a new product. Dirt pick-up resistance (DPUR) is one such challenge for latex coatings, especially in the low to zero VOC marketspace, when compared to their solvent-based counterparts. While natural weathering data is the preferred method to measure DPUR, it requires significant time, slowing the developmental cycle. An accelerated test is necessary to quickly screen prototypes in a laboratory setting.
A new accelerated DPUR (ADPUR) test method was developed that improved the repeatability and reproducibility of the test. The results were then compared against a known control which has been weathered and tested at various timepoints at an outdoor exposure site and verified by a Gage R&R.
Errors introduced in existing ADPUR test methods, such as inconsistent dirt application, were addressed and minimized using roller mills. The resulting process better simulates natural deposition forces while eliminating sources of variation. This method shows promise as an easily accessible way to test ADPUR for exterior coatings across the industry which can provide highly reproducible results.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Zach Branciforte - Technician
Company/Organization: BASF Corporation

Waterborne coating formulations often require a delicate balancing act in the additives package to optimize the performance properties of the final coating. Dispersants are needed to provide stabilization of pigments and help ensure stability of the coating over time. Surfactants are necessary in order to reduce the free energy of the various interfaces of the system, thus providing kinetic stability to the formulation. In addition, specialty additives are often used to bring in additional performance properties to the formulation such as improved color acceptance and compatibility. This balancing act is further challenged by the push for more sustainable solutions such as APE-free chemistries and low to zero VOC offerings.
This presentation will cover the use of our novel multifunctional agents, which provide a combination of wetting, dispersing, and improved color compatibility in architectural paints. These novel specialty additives, which are APE-free and low in VOC, offer a unique option for simplifying the additive packages needed in coatings formulations. Data will highlight key appearance, resistance, and stability properties when using these additives in waterborne coatings.

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Brian Vest - Sr. Scientist
Company/Organization: Solvay – Novecare

Conventional first- and second-generation organic rheology additives are finely micronized powders based on blends of castor oil derivatives or fatty acid amides. They are used as thixotropic agents both in aliphatic and aromatic solventborne formulations as well as in 100-% solids formulations.
In the search for environmentally-friendly solutions, the demand for rheological additives that can already be activated at low process temperatures is increasing. Lower energy consumption and shorter production cycle times (shorter heating and cooling phases) are of interest both ecologically and economically.
In this paper, new types of high-performance organic rheology additives are introduced. These additives combine ease of activation, compatibility with several solventborne and 100-% solids chemistries, and performance comparable to classic polyamide-based additives. In addition, one of them, a hybrid-chemistry additive, is FDA-compliant

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Marcelo Herszenhaut - Commercial Manager
Company/Organization: Lehman & Voss North America

As Vibrantz pursues our goal a more sustainable future we look to evaluate the raw materials in our products and determine how we can offer colorants with the same level of quality while having high renewable carbon levels. What challenges and opportunities are available while building a sustainable future? How can we be positioned to reduce or eliminate any coatings property trade-offs when replacing petroleum-based carbon for bio-based in our formulations? What innovative solutions may be available to allow for improved properties beyond existing market solutions? The following presentation shows how colorants with high bio-content can have the same desired properties as those formulated with traditional materials, along with how a bio sourced carrier can allow for a low viscosity versatile colorant able to be used in a variety of applications.

Location: Champagne 3/4

Speaker: Andrew Bartlett - Color Solutions Technical Service and Development Manager
Company/Organization: Vibrantz Technologies

Although exterior architectural coatings improve the look and appeal of a structure, they are ultimately protective, preserving a substrate by isolating it from environmental exposure. As the regulatory landscape shifts, however, coating composition is becoming equal in importance to coating performance. Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and benzophenone have been identified as compounds that require safer alternatives. PFAS are an effective tool for improving flow, gloss, adhesion, and water- and stain-resistance of coatings, but their use has a negative impact on human health and the environment. Eliminating PFAS, while maintaining coating performance, requires unique binder chemistry that is both flexible and durable. A PFAS-free all-acrylic waterborne latex, with improved grain-crack resistance and adhesion when compared to a similar PFAS-containing product, has been developed. Additionally, until recently, benzophenone was a cost-effective option to improve film hardness, but, due to its recent reclassification as a 2B carcinogen, replacements are now needed. Using dirt pick up resistance and gloss retention assessments, an effective, and more ecofriendly, technology has been identified, tested, and validated. Through a combination of creative polymer design and innovative reactive compounds, ecologically-sound waterborne all-acrylic latexes with improved exterior performance are possible.

Location: Champagne 1

Speaker: Mary C. Chervenak - R&D Developmental Specialist
Company/Organization: Arkema

The increasing demand for odor control solutions in various settings, such as residential, commercial, and industrial applications, including healthcare and educational facilities, has driven the market for odor absorption coatings. These coatings, which are particularly popular in poorly-ventilated spaces like classrooms, restrooms, lobbies, and elevators, incorporate functional additives like activated carbon, sodium bicarbonate, zeolites, zinc oxide, and photocatalytic TiO2 to eliminate unpleasant odors. This article reviews several odor adsorption technologies used in coatings and introduces a new functional additive that doubles the odor adsorption performance of trimethylamine, a strong fishy odor, when added to a commercially available coating. Additionally, a new quantitative and user-friendly odor test method is presented, and the performance of the coating formulated with the new additive is compared to that of other products currently available in the market. Finally, the mode of action of the coating film is characterized to explain how it works via. adsorption kinetics study.

Location: Champagne 2

Speaker: Yanjia Zuo - Senior Polymer Scientist
Company/Organization: Imerys

Silane-treated colloidal silica nanoparticles offer an exciting opportunity for formulators looking to match the performance of sustainable waterborne coatings to that of high-performance solvent-borne products. The present study explains the chemical treatment that allow for pH neutral colloidal silica nanoparticles. The stabilization of the nanoparticles allows for longevity and stability in the formulation over a wide pH range. The ability of the nanoparticles to migrate in the coating is explored, and the effects of this surface enrichment are discussed. The study examines how the desirable properties (such as hardness, surface modification, increased friction coefficient) are imparted by waterborne silica nanoparticles without impacting optical properties such as gloss or color. Several test in interior, exterior wall, roof coating, and pavement coating applications to showcase how surface modification and the hydrophilic nature of the nanoparticles can help improve properties such as: surface wetting, corrosion, and chemical resistance, drying mechanism, open-time modification, scratch resistance, anti-blocking, early rain resistance, wet and dry adhesion, and dirt pick up.”

Location: Versailles 1/2

Speaker: Evan Montanez
Company/Organization: Coadtech

Industries worldwide are increasingly focusing on creating more sustainable and safer products, and for the coatings industry, this is no different. One of the ways to achieve this is the selection of proper raw materials.

The rheology package is one of the most important considerations when formulating a paint. Today, urethane thickeners are one of the most used thickeners in water based paints, favored for their ease of use and high performance. However, in the face of recent regulations and the increased demand for higher performing, safer and more sustainable paints, we believed we could raise the bar with the introduction of our family Rheolate powder NISAT thickeners.

These 100% active powders can be easily incorporated into paint and result in less negative interactions, no pumping issues and high ease of handling. It shows up to 10% increased efficiency on usage compared to liquid version. Their compact nature allows for less emissions during transportation and up to 4x reduced storage space. The lack of biocide and VOC’s ensures the product to be compliance with future regulations and enabling improved indoor air quality.

Location: Versailles 3/4

Speaker: Carlos Ramiro - Technical Sales Manager Americas
Company/Organization: Elementis