DuPont: This company has commercialized a new line of anti-reflective (AR) film coatings to significantly improve the image contrast and color quality of liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The DuPont™ Optilon™ AR coating solutions are liquid formulations that enable the manufacture of single-layer, anti-reflective films that greatly decrease surface reflections on the front of LCD displays.

BASF’s new VP-126 Power-Fill ultraviolet (UV) primer, which was originally developed for use in automotive refinishing, is now being used for fixing isolated defects in the automotive OEM coating process. With this new primer, an auto body with a tiny mar no longer needs to go back through the entire coating process, but instead can be touched up precisely at the site of the flaw, resulting in time and cost savings.

After extensive testing, Toyota Motor Corp. Japan has determined that Akzo Nobel’s waterborne repair products - Sikkens Autowave basecoat and the waterborne Sikkens Autoclear WB - meet Toyota’s specification.

DaimlerChrysler Motor Corp. recently approved the AWX™ waterborne refinish system from Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes for North American collision repair centers. The AWX system has undergone the extensive certification process to meet the Chrysler PF-10537 standard.

Wagner Systems, Inc. is now a part of Wagner Industrial Solutions Group, a worldwide provider of complete systems and components in industrial surface technology. The integration allows Wagner Industrial Solutions to offer both liquid and powder application products.

Xiom Corp., the manufacturer of an on-site plastic powder coating spray system, has purchased a 50% ownership in a new joint venture, New Bedford Coatings LLC of New Bedford, MA. The new venture will focus on applying Xiom’s plastic protective coatings on the more than 700 sea-going fishing trawlers in the New Bedford Harbor fishing fleet.

Privately held Ecology Coatings, a developer of nano-engineered industrial coatings, has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with publicly held OCIS Corporation as part of an alternative public offering (APO) transaction. The merged company, to be named Ecology Coatings, is expected to trade on the OTC Bulletin Board.

Dow Polyurethane Systems will exhibit its Hyperlast spray and cast elastomer pipeline coating systems at Brazil Offshore 2007, to be held June 19-22 at Macae, Brazil.

Rohm and Haas Powder Coatings has appointed Gabriel Morales as sales manager for the Western Region of the Americas. In his new role, Morales will be responsible for leading sales growth activities for the Western U.S., Western Canada and Northern Mexico.

Akzo Nobel has signed an agreement to acquire Chemcraft Holdings Corp., reportedly North America’s largest privately owned manufacturer of industrial wood coatings.