CABOT CORP. launched EMPEROR® 1600 and EMPEROR® 1200 premium carbon black pigments for coatings applications where exceptional color and superior processability are primary objectives.
The trade-off in the yellow and orange color space between the weatherability, heat stability and opacity of inorganic pigments versus the chromaticity, brightness and tint strength of organic colorants, in light of the decrease in use of pigments based on deprecated metals, has opened an opportunity for new colored pigment chemistries.
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has developed the Honda Smart Ecological Paint (Honda S.E. Paint) process, a painting technology that eliminates a middle coating process from a commonly used four-coat/three-bake auto-body painting process to a three-coat/two-bake water-based painting process.
AkzoNobel has signed an agreement to supply advanced paint technology to McLaren Automotive, building on the existing corporate partnership with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes (VMM) Formula 1 team.
The automotive coatings manufacturing industry's performance has been streaky during the past five years. However, according to a report by market research firm IBISWorld, industry revenue is expected to grow 3.5 percent in 2012 to $1.3 billion.