9 June 2026 Seminars

Paint production often relies on corrections at the end of the manufacturing process, when the complexity of the product is high, making them very tedious and costly. ORONTEC is focused on early process control and offers a portfolio of modern measurement devices aimed at preventing error propagation along the production process to increase productivity. We want you to rethink your production processes! The presentation will demonstrate this philosophy with three examples:

• Q-Chain® LCM, a liquid color measurement device to monitor the milling process of pigment pastes; milling times can be reduced by up to 25%, while simultaneously eliminating the need for tinting steps later in the process
• MagnoMeter XRS®, a device that is sensitive to interactions at liquid-solid interfaces (e.g. pigment-additive). We will demonstrate its use in the quality control of coatings, e.g. stability / compatibility of pigment pastes or the consistency of incoming raw materials as well as of batch-to-batch production
• Delcor, a new, non-destructive method to evaluate corrosion test panels. Benefits: higher reproducibility/accuracy; the re-usability of test panels leads to savings in test chamber space, material, energy and waste

Roughness and chemistry dictate whether a surface behaves in an adhesive or an abhesive manner. This is critical if the objective is to generate an adhesive bond or a coating to adhere to a part or whether the aim is to have a surface to which contamination does not adhere. The interdependence of roughness and chemistry on these behaviours is subtle and whilst broad guidelines may well be sufficient in many cases, a deeper understanding can reveal the potential for limitations and opportunities to improve reproducibility and functional behaviour. The presentation will provide background to the assessment of roughness and wetting behaviour and how these behaviours influence each other, I will also discusses the need for integrated, multiscale characterisation and design strategies combining chemistry, topography, and mechanics to achieve predictable interfacial performance.

Weathering & light exposure are significant causes of damage to coatings, plastics, adhesives, sealants, and other organic materials. This damage includes gloss loss, fading, yellowing, cracking, peeling, embrittlement, loss of tensile strength, and delamination. For many manufacturers, it is crucial to formulate products that can withstand outdoor service environments. Accelerated weathering and light stability testers are widely used to provide information on material durability for research and development, quality control and material certification. Outdoor testing in benchmark locations such as Florida and Arizona is an important addition to accelerated testing as it provides realistic results by exposing test specimens to natural conditions. Testing outdoors provides comprehensive, accurate results by reproducing complex weathering patterns not easily duplicated in an accelerated laboratory environment.

UV radiation damages polymeric coating systems and substrates. UV Absorber additives are often included in coating formulations for protection. Traditional organic UV absorbers are consumed by exposure to solar radiation, limiting the lifetime of the coating (and some classes are coming under regulatory pressure). In contrast, inorganic UV absorbers are not consumed in situ, so extending the coating lifetime. Some inorganic types are photoactive, creating radicals which can degrade the coating and substrate.

Energenics manufactures the CerPlus® A series range of inorganic UV absorbers. The active ingredient is cerium oxide nanoparticles, a non-photoactive, non-hazardous material. Water and solvent based dispersions, both with uniform small particle size, allow transparency in coating films.

Sustainability in effect pigments can be enhanced through several key measures. Using secondary and low‑carbon aluminium significantly reduces energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Low‑VOC products such as Versalan® minimize solvent impact, while high‑coverage pigments like STAPA® HD help lower material usage. Together, these approaches reinforce ECKART’s commitment to producing efficient and sustainable effect pigments.

This research describes a versatile method for the creation of multi-tier hierarchical structured surfaces, that seek to optimise conflicting surface effects, such as anti-viral/anti-microbial efficacy and hydrophobic (easy-clean) properties. This approach exploits the availability of surface-active ‘chemical functional’ groups whilst also manipulating surface micro- and nano-structure, to control the way the coating interacts with liquid droplets. Further to this, the methodology highlights a new and valuable route to mechanically robust, nano-structured surfaces which outperform control coatings over multiple abrasion cycles. The approach utilizes a simple spray application process to create the robust structured surfaces, doing so without the use of specialist equipment. Finally, this approach is presented as a potential route to ‘self-decontaminating surfaces’ that can capture and remove hazardous chemicals from surfaces.

Lubrizol keeps developing products that meet our customers’ performance and sustainability goals. This presentation highlights the recent Lubrizol developments focusing on oil modified water-based acrylics and polyurethane dispersions. This novel chemistry enables formulations with high renewable content with exceptional properties while addressing environmental concerns.
Lubrizol has explored the oil modified chemistry to improve film-forming capabilities at low temperatures, application advantages and exterior durability.
The evaluation and characterization of oil modified acrylics has proved superior overall performance compared to conventional coatings.
The presentation will also elaborate on ongoing developments on oil modified polyurethane dispersion to enhance performance and sustainability.

From Regulation to Reality: How Coatings Companies Are Making Trade-offs on Sustainability, Performance & Risk, examines how organisations are navigating reformulation decisions, managing regulatory uncertainty, and weighing sustainability commitments against performance demands. 

This workshop explores how coatings companies are navigating difficult decision-making in an environment where sustainability goals, regulatory pressures, cost, and product performance often conflict.

Rather than focusing on technical solutions or regulatory updates, it centres on how organisations make strategic choices under uncertainty. Key challenges include assessing risk, deciding when to reformulate products, determining acceptable performance trade-offs, and clarifying responsibility as regulations continue to evolve.

The session begins by framing the issue: decision-making itself has become a major bottleneck, as companies struggle to balance competing priorities. It then presents multiple industry perspectives, highlighting real-world examples of difficult decisions, unavoidable compromises, and ongoing uncertainties.

A moderated debate follows, tackling critical questions such as whether companies are acting too quickly or too slowly on reformulation, whether durability is undervalued in sustainability metrics, and how regulatory risk should be shared across the value chain. Audience interaction plays a central role in shaping the discussion.

The workshop concludes with a synthesis of insights and practical takeaways, helping participants rethink their own approaches and develop clearer, more confident decision-making frameworks in the face of ongoing uncertainty

Chair: Dr Karen Harvey

The use of silane modified colloidal silica in PUD resin-based coating formulations in combination with resin and epoxy silane has been investigated. The samples were evaluated regarding their mechanical, physical properties and corrosion resistances on galvanized steel.

Addition of modified colloidal silica enhanced the corrosion resistance significantly. The coating cross-linking density increased upon silica and silane addition. Synergy between silane, colloidal silica and resin in corrosion resistance could be noted but did not correlate to any further increase in cross-linking density.

A good compatibility was observed, hardness of the coatings were in agreement with their good flexibility and impact resistance.

I will be discussing my research on a new polymer system (patent filed) that we are developing that replaced petrochemical content with biosourced components from non-food sources. This polymer is the results of over 4 years of R&D. It has been trialled in a number of real-life applications including emulsion paints, plastic films and a coating for a new type of water filter which has been trialled by Northumbrian Water in a pilot plant at one of their sewage works.