Axalta Building Products, a division of Axalta Coating Systems, has announced the launch of Cerulean™, its latest generation of waterborne industrial wood coatings.

As the successor to Zenith, Cerulean™ brings the ‘best of both worlds’ to distributors and OEMs, with a luxurious finish that offers the feel of solvent-based solutions. This meets the needs of customers as they work to find ways to improve their environmental profiles, including through the use of low-VOC products, without sacrificing performance.

Cerulean coatings are easy to apply, ready to spray, and with excellent flow and leveling properties. They can be applied with standard equipment, and are additionally compatible with Axalta’s proprietary X-pert system, a computerized dispensing platform that supports reliably accurate color mixing.

All Cerulean™ products meet or exceed KCMA standards, and are in Axalta’s lowest VOC emissions category, with less than 200g/L emitted.

Products announced in the Cerulean range include:

• Premium waterborn topcoat (Dead Flat, Matte, Satin, Soft-Gloss, Semi-Gloss, Gloss)
• Premium pigmented waterborne (Matte, Satin, Soft-Gloss, Semi-Gloss, Gloss)
• Waterborne undercoat (Neutral Undercoat, White Undercoat)

Cerulean is first being introduced at the International Woodworking Fair on August 6-9 in Atlanta. Though the range has a broad appeal, it is particularly relevant for distributors and OEMs in kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and furniture. Additional use cases include architectural millwork and store fixtures.

Wade Arnold, Vice President and General Manager of Axalta Building Products, said: “The decision between solvent-based and waterborne coatings for wood has previously been conceived as a trade-off: the most premium finish versus the better safety and environmental profile. However, with Cerulean, we are showing the industry that they no longer have to choose. Cerulean achieves VOC-reduction advantages over standard solvent-based solutions while maintaining comparable feel and durability.”

He added: “This technology is the result of a multi-year development cycle since the premiere of Zenith. Our long-term investment in R&D has put us in a position to offer customers a new level of benefits without compromises, as they seek to meet societal ambitions for sustainability at the same time as remaining profitable.”

For more information on Cerulean, visit www.axaltawoodcoatings.com.