The European Coatings Show will take place March 19-21 in Nuremberg, Germany. The event will focus on trends and technologies covering all aspects of the production of paints, coatings, sealants, construction chemicals and adhesives. For the first time, the show will extend into eight halls. Below is a snapshot of some of the technology that will be presented at this year’s ECS.

Ferro Pigments Offers Color Solutions for Coatings and Inks

Ferro Pigments offers a diverse array of complex inorganic color pigments, ultramarines, corrosion inhibitors, iron oxides (blacks, reds, yellows, including high heat fastness grades of the latter), chrome oxide greens, bismuth vanadates, transparent iron oxides and organic pigments.

The company will be celebrating 100 years of innovation, as well as several new products, which include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

• PS24-3950 (PBr 29) new IR black pigment;
• Nubifer NB-803K, a bluish black manganese ferrite (PBk33) that provides cost-effective, durable black color to coatings even at very high processing and/or end-use temperatures;
• 21-5801, 21-5901 and 21-4345, nickel-free cobalt titanate green (PG50, CMR-free classification), with excellent chemical, heat, light and weather resistance, suitable for all kinds of coatings applications;
• Nubirox 302, a non-zinc-based anti-corrosive pigment designed to increase anti-corrosive efficiency and performance in a wide range of paints, including high-performance glossy DTM applications;
• Lysopac Yellow 6607B (PY184), the newest-generation bismuth chemistry with superior tinting strength, excellent hiding power and very low mill base viscosity, allowing a high pigment loading; 
• Acetanil Yellow 7416C, new grade PY74 with improved solvent fastness and improved re-crystallization behavior in strong solvent environments;
• Eco-Lysopac range, hybrid pigments for lead chrome replacement has been extended with new color solutions.

Lubrizol to Showcase New Polymer and Additive Technologies

The Lubrizol Corporation will showcase several new polymer and additive technologies that enhance performance of paints and coatings. The company’s latest innovations, including new Solsperse™ W-Series waterborne dispersants, new Aptalon™ polyamide polyurethanes, new dispersants for UV inks and new surface modifier technologies will be a particular focus at the show.

“We will also be showcasing a mobile app in our exhibit that introduces the benefits of our latest technologies via an augmented reality experience,” shares Anja Kloth, Regional Marketing Manager. “Formulators can interact with this fun, new tool to explore opportunities to differentiate with advanced performance. Overall, it promises to be an exciting show, and we look forward to meeting with both new and existing customers.”

Clariant Offers New Perspective on Sustainability

Under the theme Think.Do.Paint! For a New Perspective, Clariant invites visitors to discover colors and additives developed to help decorative, industrial and automotive coatings make a sustainable difference to the various elements of the urbanization megatrend: homes, buildings, construction, transport and lifestyle products.

In addition, the colors of the future for automotive exteriors are ready to be explored with the launch of Clariant’s new Automotive Styling Shades Trendbook 2021-2023.

People from all key industries and end-market application areas for paints and coatings will be able to find added value benefits and application design freedom from the wide range of innovative products available. Some highlights include:

• New sustainable 2-in-1 dispersion additive for manufacturing safer, easier-to-apply, biocide-free formulations that are suitable for eco-labeled indoor paints for home and building decoration.
• New dispersant additive for waterborne organic and selective inorganic pigment and carbon black concentrates, offering enhanced colors, improved storage stability, low foaming and easier formulation.
• Sustainable wax additive based on 100% renewable resources, providing smooth touch and high scratch resistance to wood, and offering enhanced pigment dispersion to increase color strength of powder coatings.
• Non-halogenated flame retardants – colorless key ingredient for transparent intumescent wood coatings, suitable on dark and light colored wood, meeting stringent fire regulations for public building applications and ingredients for steel, prolonging the shelf-life of water-based intumescent coatings and improving safety under challenging weather conditions.

Perstorp to Emphasize Innovation and the Environment

Perstorp will be at the European Coatings Show with a new offer for the resins and coatings industry. Its emphasis will be on innovation, future solutions, and committed service and partnership. Perstorp will also launch a new range of Pro-Environment specialty products, adding to the pro-environment polyols portfolio it unveiled a year ago.

“I am very proud of how we have all been working together to develop our new offer for the resins and coatings market. We are excited to be taking the next step in supporting our customers in new ways, says Anna Berggren, Market Segment Manager Resins & Coatings. We are also thrilled to be demonstrating our latest sustainable development. I am convinced that we together in the industry can make a real difference – I find this so inspiring.”

Bitrez to Showcase Polymers and Additives

Bitrez Ltd. sill be showcasing its innovative solutions for the paints, coatings and adhesives industries. The company’s presence at the show comes hot on the heels of its launch of the world’s first REACH-compliant Ketamine epoxy curing agent with extended pot-life and improved surface appearance.

Other products in the Bitrez range include Curaphen phenolic polymers – within which are specialist low free formaldehyde resins.

Dominic Hopwood, Bitrez Sales Manager, said, “This is a very exciting time for us to be exhibiting at the European Coatings Show. For us, it’s all about pushing the chemical boundaries to provide the paints, coatings and adhesives industries with innovate solutions coupled with filling the gap provided by products that have been withdrawn from the market due to regulatory reform. The show was great last time out, we got to catch up with existing clients and also meet potential new customers. We’re hoping our products, like the new Ketamine series, will generate a real buzz at this year’s show!”

DSM to Exhibit Sustainable Resins for Decorative Coatings

Building on its organizational ambitions to ‘create brighter lives for all’, DSM’s portfolio of resins for decorative paints and coatings is setting the standard for sustainability and lower environmental impact. DSM’s resins are enabling higher performance standards when it comes to durability, aesthetic qualities and overall environmental impact.

“We at DSM are proud of our sustainable solutions for the coatings industry. We take our responsibility for this matter seriously and that is why we work with our customers and other players in the value chain. Together, we develop and implement solutions that benefit society. Being sustainable means safeguarding healthy living, by reducing hazardous substances and VOCs released in the environment; combating climate change, by limiting energy use and carbon emissions; and creating circular solutions, by using renewable raw materials and designing for recyclability, which we are happy to present at the European Coatings Show” explains Helen Mets, President at DSM Resins & Functional Materials.

In line with DSM’s commitment to supporting healthier living, combating climate change and creating circular solutions, spotlight products are bio-based, contain no substances of concern and contribute zero VOC emissions. DSM will launch the latest additions to their Decovery^® portfolio at the show.

WACKER to Present Dispersible Polymer Powders for Bio-Free Wall Paints

WACKER will be introducing many new products, one of which is its new NEXIVA^® product line. With these dispersible polymer powders, manufacturers can now produce interior wall paints in powder form. The technology does not require the addition of biocides and offers key advantages when it comes to storing and transporting paints.

By developing NEXIVA, WACKER has now created a technology for the production of biocide-free paints. The company will present a product line based on spray-dried polymeric binders suitable for producing interior wall paints in either liquid or powder form. Paint manufacturers can use NEXIVA to create individual paint formulations, just as they can with traditional binders in dispersion form.

Powder paints remain stable, even without the addition of preservatives. Water for re-dispersing the paints is not added until just prior to application, thus eliminating the need for adding biocides during production. As the paint dries, all that evaporates is water. Thanks to the polymers, the paint adheres well and has good spreading properties. In addition, paints are easier to transport and store when they are in powder form, as they weigh less, for instance, and can be packaged differently from liquid paints. Unlike traditional wall paints, powdered versions do not freeze in the cold, nor do they thicken when exposed to heat.

BASF to Present New Solutions

BASF experts and specialists from BTC, the European distribution organization of BASF, will present new raw materials for the coatings, paint and construction industries. The broad range of products includes dispersions, resins, additives, light stabilizers, anti-oxidants, pigments, hardeners, cross-linking agents, reactive diluents and solvents.

“Our customers in the coatings sector are facing diverse challenges resulting from ever-changing overall conditions such as new consumer requirements and environmental standards. The ECS trade fair is a welcome opportunity for us to continue the close, ongoing dialog with our customers on market needs and drive innovations,” says Christoph Hansen, Head of the Dispersions & Resins Europe business unit.

For example, white coated furniture is becoming more and more popular, especially in living rooms and kitchens. However, in everyday life it can easily happen that colored liquids such as coffee or red wine leave irreversible stains on bright furniture surfaces – a major problem particularly for waterborne coatings. Due to the new, physically drying resins, the recently launched Joncryl^® 95XX series, furniture coatings end up with high levels of chemical resistance against aqueous stains even after 16 hours of exposure (according to DIN 68861-1B). They are also suitable for DIY applications. Furthermore, Dispex^® Ultra PX 4575, a dispersing agent for water-based systems, supports excellent chemical resistance and leads to greatly improved storage stability and anti-sedimentation behavior. For industrial UV applications, where immediate availability of properties is necessary, BASF developed Laromer^® UA 9135 Aqua. The UV-curable dispersion is designed for the formulation of highly resistant furniture coatings, fulfilling latest regulations and technical properties. It does not contain stenomeric monomers and bisphenol A, offers immediate chemical and scratch resistance and is very compatible with mixing components (e.g. acrylic combination partners).

Customers increasingly require products that combine aesthetics with additional coating functionalities such as improved durability, reduced dirt pick-up and easy-to-clean features. BASF enhanced its Formulation Additives portfolio with a novel concept of coating surface modification. It is based on fluoro-modified block copolymers that crosslink with the binder matrix. The block copolymers align at the top surface layers via self-organization and are fixed in the right place, which leads to improved durability and weathering resistance of the surface as well as additional functionalities such as an easy-to-clean effect.

Sun Chemical to Showcase Latest Pigment and Polymer Technology

Sun Chemical’s full spectrum of color pigments will be on display, as well as its wide range of metallics, pearlescents and polymer technology.

“The European Coatings Show is an opportunity for Sun Chemical to demonstrate the many ways in which our versatile range of tailor-made solutions can help customers deliver coatings with exciting color options and exceptional performance properties,” said Mehran Yazdani, President of Sun Chemical Performance Pigments and Advanced Materials.

Advancements in high-performance pigment chemistries and expanded range of color options include:

• Perrindo^® Maroon 179: One of the most yellow pigment red 179 shades on the market, this pigment features the benchmark transparency that is vital to producing modern, high-chromatic metallic red finishes and offers excellent light and weather fastness, is easy to disperse, and is compatible in water and solventborne systems.
• Quindo^® Red 122: Suitable for water and solventborne systems, Quindo 228-3122 enables excellent styling for highly transparent and chromatic effect shades and has excellent durability and fastness properties for automotive and high-performance coatings.
• Indofast Violet 23: A versatile pigment for general-purpose use across a wide range of coating technologies for industrial and architectural end uses that features high strength, easy dispersability and improved opacity compared to other offerings. 

Metallic and pearlescent pigments on display will include:

• Benda-Lutz^® COMPAL WS: This VOC-free, highly concentrated aluminum preparation for inks and coatings enables customers to use the same product for waterborne, UV and high-solids coating chemistries by providing broad compatibility that is optimized for long-term gassing stability in aqueous environments.
• SunMICA Deep Black Pearlescent: A black pearl pigment for powder coatings and plastics offers exceptional luster, sparkle and jetness compared to traditional commercially available black pearlescent pigments.

Sun Chemical will also feature a wide range of polymer solutions for the coatings market, including:

• WATERSOL^® AC Series: a broad range of waterborne acrylic emulsions for plastic and metal coatings. WATERSOL^® AC 3080 is a waterborne acrylic emulsion for common plastics, metal and glass coatings. It is designed for 2K single-layer coatings and provides universal adhesion as well as exceptional metallic pigment orientation.
• BURNOCK^® AC Series: This series is comprised of a wide variety of solventborne acrylics for various coatings on plastic. BURNOCK^® AC 1651 is a solventborne acrylic that features best-in-class adhesion to untreated polypropylene, specifically EPDM-modified types and common plastic substrates, such as ABS, PC, PS, PMMA, PVC and many more