The plasma-sprayed ceramic coating from Zircotec, originally developed for the nuclear industry and currently used in Formula One, classic, performance road and track cars, is going to be used by the British Steam Car Challenge. The Challenge is attempting to bring the world land speed record for steam powered vehicles to the UK by achieving a target speed of over 200 mph.

Akzo Nobel’s Conrad Keijzer has won a leading Dutch management award that recognizes young corporate talent.

Technic Inc. has released a new cyanide-free silver-plating process chemistry called Cy-less II-W. Designed for the general metal finishing, decorative and electronic component/connector applications, the new process reportedly addresses the global demand for an environmentally-safe high-performance silver process.

Making precise wall and coating thickness measurements can be fast and easy using the new CHECKLINE® TI-CMX or TI-CMXDL (data-logging) ultrasonic thickness gauges from Electromatic Equipment Co., Inc.

Nuplex Resins is launching a new global brand of waterborne products, "Setaqua™,” effective January 1, 2008. The new waterborne product line consists of specialty acrylic dispersions, emulsions and alkyd emulsions for the industrial, architectural, wood, automotive and plastics coatings markets.

The acrylic binder Fastrack™ HD-21A from Rohm and Haas’s Paint and Coatings Materials business meets new Federal Specification TT-P-1952E for waterborne traffic paint with increased durability.

MacDermid has launched a webinar series on electronics to disseminate information around the world via the Internet.

PPG Industries was named a finalist in the 2008 Automotive News PACE Award program for its Green Logic paint detackifier. Used by domestic, European and Japanese automakers, Green Logic paint detackifier is added to the water wash system in automotive paint spray booths to denature and remove over-sprayed paint.

The new Alodine®EC²™ high-performance coating line at American Trim in Cullman, AL, is operational and ready to support full production and prototyping. With this opening, American Trim reportedly becomes the largest (by capacity) licensed product center of the new coating developed by Henkel Corp.

Akzo Nobel N.V. shareholders have given strong support for the company’s proposed acquisition of Imperial Chemical Industries PLC (ICI). At an extraordinary general meeting held in Amsterdam, shareholders voted 79% in favor of the transaction.