The European Coatings Show (ECS) recently concluded, boasting more than 30,000 visitors from more than 100 countries, and 1,135 exhibitors from 40 countries. In an expanded space at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, the exhibiting companies presented innovative products and services for every aspect of paint, coating and sealant production. The ECS Conference was just as successful, with over 840 participants from 50 countries, and set another record for this venue for discussion among coating researchers and developers.

The following pages include some of the latest technology that was introduced at this year’s ECS.

Technology is the Driving Force at Alberdingk Boley

Alberdingk Boley develops environmentally friendly binders. This family business employs 400 people worldwide, and focuses on innovation. In fact, 50% of its product offerings are younger than five years old. Alberdingk Boley introduced many new products at this year’s ECS.

Architectural/Decorative Coatings

For the architectural and decorative coatings market, the company introduced PUR-MATT 600 amine-free, inherent matte polyurethane dispersion (PUD) for burnish-resistant wall paints. The product requires no coalescent, offers superior burnishing resistance, a super smooth matte finish, even in deep shades, and provides easier roller application of matte paints due to inherent matte polymer technology.

Also introduced was AS 6004 styrene acrylic for interior paints with low odor and good wet-abrasion resistance. This product is compliant with the latest Blauer Engel and Ecolabel schemes, is extremely hydrophobic, ultra-scrub-resistant and very economic.

AC 3600 is a high-gloss, multiphase, self-crosslinking, pure acrylic dispersion. It is clear in the can, offers very good chemical resistance, MFFT 0°C, good sanding properties, long open time/very good flow and levelling, and is extremely fast drying and block resistant.

AC 3626 is a hard, self-crosslinking, multiphase acrylic dispersion for high-quality gloss paints with excellent flow and levelling as well as long open time. Thanks to its special polymer design, the dispersion develops an extremely block-resistant film very quickly. Coatings based on the dispersion are highly resistant to general chemicals and particularly resistant to hand lotions and fat.

ALBOrapid 22 can be used as an additive polymer and can significantly increase the drying speed of water-based coatings. By adding 5-10% of the product to a coating, the drying under marginal conditions (low temperature and high humidity) is so much improved that an early rain resistance can be obtained. This product is especially designed to be combined with the company’s AC 2008 product.

Floor Coatings

For the floor coatings market, Alberdingk introduced several new products. U 7500 is an aqueous, anionic, solvent-free dispersion of an aliphatic polyester polyurethane. It offers long open time with quick hardness development at the same time, outstanding levelling properties, very low color change in overlapping zones, very easy mixing with crosslinkers (isocyanates and carbodiimides), high CoF/antislip, very good chemical and stain resistance, excellent sanding properties, and high scratch resistance.

U 9000 is a water-based, aliphatic polycarbonate polyurethane dispersion with N-Butylpyrrolidone. This resin was developed for thin organic coatings with very good corrosion protection and applications that require excellent chemical resistance.

LUR 10 is an oxidative-drying, water-based, anionic, solvent-free, aliphatic polyurethane dispersion based on linseed oil for high-quality hardwood floor and furniture coatings. It offers outstanding wood warming, similar to solvent-based oil-modified coatings, very fast hardness development, high gloss, excellent chemical resistance, very good sanding properties and very good adhesion.

AFU (Amine-Free Urethane) 850 is a self-crosslinking, amine- and solvent-free polyurethane dispersion. It offers ultra-neutral wood warming, very good film body, scratch resistance, very good sanding features, and is ideal for crosslinking with carbodiimides and silanes.

ALBOlink CD 20 is a carbodiimid crosslinker for all kinds of water-based polymers. It is not classified under GHS, so is “label-free”, and can be sold for DIY users. It was developed to replace polyisocyanates in wood coatings, looks like an isocyanate, offers very easy mixing and no side reactions, works with almost any polymer and offers significant improvement in chemical and hydrolysis resistance.

Furniture Coatings

New products for furniture coatings include UC 8400 hard, aliphatic copolymer from acrylic acid esters and polyester polyurethane, and UC 8600 hard aliphatic copolymer based on polycarbonate polyurethane. UC 8400 has been designed for coatings on wood, plastics and metal with high hardness, scratch resistance and good adhesion. It offers very high hardness, excellent chemical and blocking resistance, is resistant to hand fat and is highly scratch resistant, and is an ideal combination partner for water-based acrylics and UV-curable dispersions. UC 8600 has been optimized for use in pigmented coating systems. Thanks to its hard and hydrophobic polymer film one can formulate pigmented furniture finishes with outstanding stain and chemical resistance. Furthermore, formulations based on the dispersion offer hand-fat and lotion resistance as well as a very scratch-resistant surface.

AC 3699 is a hard, multiphase, OH-functional acrylic dispersion for industrial two-pack furniture and floor coatings. It is clear in the can, offers rapid hardness development, very good wood warming, very good chemical resistance, excellent mechanical resistance, very good adhesion, good sanding properties, and very long open time.

Graphic Arts and Film Coatings

For the graphic arts and film coatings market, Alberdingk introduced U 4000 and AC 4600 anionic, solvent-free, neutralized acrylic dispersions designed for block-resistant, heat-sealable coatings for OPP films.