5 June 2024 Seminars

Deep color flat matt finishes are gaining popularity due to their aesthetic appeal. These paints face challenges in achieving low VOC levels without compromising burnish resistance performance. Synthomer offers the perfect solution. Multiphase modified acrylics provides high hardness with good film formation at low VOC. PLIOTEC™ BR 10, has shown superior burnish resistance, allowing paint formulators to achieve top performance for matte paint finishes. This technology can also be extended to premium individual housing segments, especially kitchens, bathrooms, hospitals and children’s rooms. So, if you’re looking for a reliable solution for deep color matte finishes, Synthomer has you covered!

There was 57Mt of electronic waste generated in 2022 of this less than 25% is currently recycled. The commercial recycling processes focus solely on the recovery of the precious metals at the expense of everything else. The silver ink we have formulated can create printed electronics using existing manufacturing methods such as screen-printing and recovered from products or manufacturing waste without using toxic highly-chemicals. The recovered silver can be reused in the manufacturing of new inks without further processing, creating a cost-effective closed loop system for circular printed electronics and reducing scope 3 emissions.

Paul Sheppard will open the presentation by listing the various regulatory pressures and coatings industry specific chemicals that are affected. Con McElroy will follow this by discussing safer and greener alternatives to restricted dipolar aprotic solvents used during the process for recycling Lithium-Ion batteries. Graham Armstrong will finish the session by discussing Chrome free alternatives to the REACH Authorised substance Chromium Trioxide traditionally used in inorganic coatings for corrosion protection of compressor blades in  aeroengine and industrial gas turbines..

A real company view of the complications and challenges of the approval process for Biocidal Products both in the UK and Europe. Where the main costs arise, decisions and risks that are associated and how can improvements be made in the process to encourage innovation

Certain solvent based inks have a propensity to form peroxides with time.  This can lead to degradation of printer components, dyes and other changes to ink chemistry leading to issues with print quality.  This presentation describes a novel procedure for the quantitation of peroxides.  The procedure utilises the fact that organic peroxides oxidise nitrites to yield nitrates.  The quantitation of nitrates by ion exchange chromatography facilitates the estimation of peroxide concentration.  Additionally, we show the calculation of reaction order, rate constant, reciprocal half life and activation energy.

The formulation of civil engineering systems such as epoxy floorings is facing several challenges such as more stringent Health & Safety requirements (labelling) next to delivering high quality products to end-users.

Westlake Epoxy will be presenting new hardeners that are meeting the newer legislation as well as offering excellent performance.

Sustainability is the main topic of the future as together we all need to use less raw materials and energy for climate protection. Sustainability includes biobased but also longer lasting materials which don’t need to be replaced as often as before. The presentation will show examples of using biobased materials for decorative coatings but also give an insight into new developments for longer lasting products in e.g. façade paints. We will not only discuss the polymer part of these developments but the holistic approach to much more sustainable formulations.

-

Overview of the divergence between the CLP legislation in the EU and GB, with a focus on SDS Authoring and  labelling and the impact this has on a chemicals business trading in both GB and EU.

Laser cleaning and stripping solutions are poised to impact the coatings industry as efficient and sustainable alternatives to prepare surfaces for coating and stripping away old coatings. Lasers are also used in the spray booth to remove build up on fixtures such as hooks. An obvious benefit of cleaning with a laser is that no consumables are required. Laser energy may be directed with high precision, adding benefits when only portions of the workpiece require cleaning. A laser beam may be translated at 10 meters/second, enabling extremely short process cycle times. Given the Coating industry's focus on productivity and sustainability, it is time to give laser a hard look.

ECKART is a leading manufacturer of effect pigments based on aluminium, pearlescent, gold-bronze, iron, stainless steel, and zinc, supplying into a wide range of markets including paint, coatings (liquid & powder), printing inks, plastics, cosmetics and Additive Manufacturing

ECKART will present Unique Metallic Effects based on structureless Effect Pigments introducing the latest technology behind the next generation of aluminium, VMP and pearlescent pigments.  Highlights will include structureless highly brilliant aluminium pigments, the world’s finest aluminum pigment, new styling options with structureless aluminium pigments, latest coloured VMP Pigments and ultra  fine pearlescent pigments

-

“Pneumatic Mixing. Bringing Chemicals back to life” – Air based mixing has many advantages over more conventional methods. There is no electricity and no moving parts, which makes it a safe, non-invasive technology – as well as being extremely easy to implement, set up and use. It can re-animate paints, inks and chemicals which would otherwise have been rendered redundant or less effective over time. The unit clears sedimentation and assures a homogenous distribution of chemicals within each cm³, even for viscous fluids. An IBC can be mixed in as little as 30 minutes, and a drum in 15-20.

The areas of change within our personal and business lives are growing rapidly, whether it is climate change, workforce demographics, increasing world population, conflict, new technology, security threats or even the unexpected. There has never been a more important time, or a more crucial role for trade associations to play.

During this session experts from the Chemical Business Association will, outline how the above issues will affect the chemical supply chain in the coming years, and how the association is currently helping members navigate these issues. They will also summarise the new initiatives the CBA has recently launched to help ensure the chemical supply chain can meet the demands that will be placed upon it in the future.

There will be several short presentations followed by a panel session with opportunity for the audience to ask questions and be part of the debate.

Providing long-lasting performance in protective coatings and therefore contributing to a more sustainable future by protecting steel constructions, lead to further development of those coating systems in recent times. The trend towards water-based products but also low-solvent or solvent-free coatings is one of the most important drivers. This development leads to new requirements regarding additive performance. In this presentation it will be shown what challenges must be faced and how newest additive solutions can boost the performance of modern protective coatings.

This study describes the rheological properties of a urea urethane based thickening agent developed at Synthron. Thickening effects are confirmed in water, and responses are checked in combination with different acrylic binders.  Thickening efficiency is also verified in a high polarity solvent based model system.  Viscosity recovery time is investigated using the 3iTT method (three interval thixotropy test) in both an acrylic binder and the high polarity solvent system, revealing information about the pseudoplastic / thixotropic nature of the rheology imparted.  An anti-sagging effect is also demonstrated in the model systems.

Coloured pigments are obviously vital to imparting the apparent colour to coatings materials. However, in almost all cases, variations in the opacifying power of this largely absorptive materials mean that significant amounts of Titanium Dioxide is required in the formulation in order confer the appropriate level of opacity.

This necessary amount of TiO₂ has the detrimental effect of scattering white light at the film surface and reducing the Chroma and strength of the coloured pigmen.

New developments in opacifying composite pigment technology allow the use of significantly less TiO2 in such coloured systems whilst maintaining opacity. This provides a great opportunity to reformulate coatings using less coloured pigment hence reducing costs and carbon footprint.

Radiative cooling, the natural thermoregulation process responsible for maintaining the Earth's temperature balance, is emerging as a sustainable, electricity-free solution to combat building overheating. In my talk, I will delve into the fundamentals of radiative cooling, showcase the latest advancements in radiative cooling coatings and paints, and explore the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

This presentation covers advancements in using graphene for industrial coatings, emphasising enhanced dispersion techniques. It highlights the use of various analytical methods to assess graphene dispersion quality, ensuring uniformity and effectiveness in coatings. The talk addresses challenges associated with using industrial-grade graphene, including achieving consistent dispersion and performance. By refining dispersion methods, the presentation showcases how to leverage graphene’s unique properties for improved coating durability and functionality, ultimately advancing its application in various coating industries.

Due to their durability, polyurethane coatings are important technologies in the industrial coatings market. For many years, tin-based catalysts such as dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) were commonly used as crosslinkers in polyurethane reactions. Crosslinking adds benefits such as faster dry times, increased hardness, durability, abrasion resistance, and water and solvent resistance. However, a catalyst can negatively impact performance properties such as pot life. Following market trends and regulatory pressures, this presentation will address how Borchers’ catalyst technology can help replace tin-based catalysts without compromising performance. The data will also highlight how performance issues such as short pot life can be resolved.

The improvement of the sustainability of paint formulations became of big interest in recent years, not only due to an increased regulatory pressure but also due to an increased demand by the end-users. The term sustainability also contains an economic aspect, so increasing the for example the durability will also improve the overall sustainability of a coating formulation.

This presentation demonstrates how different additives can improve the sustainability of coatings. The durability of a metal coating may be increased by using less environmentally harmful corrosion inhibitors or even the use of bio-based organic inhibitors. How optimized tannin-stain inhibitors can increase tannin blocking resistance without impacting VOC and labelling. Further we will present a new VOC-optimized pH-adjusting agent, providing superior wetting and film-building properties.

Interfacial chemistry plays a pivotal role in the materials manufacturing industry. For instance, in composite materials, it governs the interactions between different constituent materials at their boundaries, thereby influencing their structural properties in terms of stability and durability. Additionally, interfacial chemistry is crucial in understanding how materials interact with the environment, ultimately determining their lifespan. A comprehensive grasp of interfacial chemistry is widely recognized as essential for advancing material manufacturing.

Surface-sensitive, in situ spectroscopic techniques such as soft X-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy (XPS and NEXAFS) are powerful tools for investigating these phenomena. However, utilizing these techniques poses challenges due to the necessity of ultra-high vacuum conditions. Nonetheless, significant advancements in instrumentation have rendered these techniques indispensable for studying gas-solid interfaces.

In my presentation, I will illustrate the significance of interfacial chemistry in nanostructured carbon relevant to the painting manufacturing industry. Through specific examples, I will demonstrate how employing these methodologies can contribute to the development of superior materials.

-

-

-

We are all keen to reduce our carbon footprint and become more sustainable. During this presentation Ciara will share some practical tips on how to reduce the impact on the environment when painting.

Sometimes in our desire to improve we can forget why we started to do things in the first place.  This talk is a reminder of the reasons we use biocides in paint and the important role (s) they play