NANKANG, China — Coatings resins supplier allnex has signed a strategic cooperation agreement focusing on waterborne UV coatings with Guangdong Bardese Chemical Group to jointly promote the centralized development of green coatings in China.

Guangdong Bardese Chemical Group held a grand opening ceremony for its Boshi Home Furniture factory in Nankang, Jiangxi Province, on September 13, 2018. The new 50,000-square-meter factory is equipped with an advanced dust control system and a fully automated spraying production line imported from the United States and Italy. It will be the first environmentally friendly water-based paint factory in China.

At the ceremony, which was attended by a number of industry players, Xueping Fang, President of Guangdong Bardese Chemical Group, and Matteo Vasconi, Global Business Director for Radcure at allnex, signed a strategic cooperation agreement on waterborne UV coatings. Through this new Boshi Home Furniture factory, the two parties will explore and push the boundaries of water-based UV coating technology and establish a strategic partnership to further both the sustainable development of the industry as a whole and the regional economy.

Fang commented, “Sustainability is what we are aiming for. With that goal in mind, we want to challenge and explore the possibilities and opportunities to be found within the leading coating technologies in order for us to provide consumers with a wide array of high-quality products. We aim to become the leader in the sustainable development of green coatings in China."

"With the cooperation of the government, associations and enterprises, water-based paint has been greatly developed and valued in China, and the agreement which was signed yesterday marks the start of a new era for water-based UV coatings designed for the wood furniture application. It is a very significant and positive leap forward in promoting the green and sustainable development of the coatings industry," said Sun Lianying, President of China Coatings Association.

Thanks to its ability to comply with the latest environmental requirements, as well as meet the various needs of the home coatings market, water-based UV resin technology shows great market potential, which is why there is a visible shift in the industry from solventborne to waterborne. Waterborne UV curing technology brings together the advantages of different technologies. Not only does it guarantee low VOC emissions, it also delivers high performance. During the crosslinking process of waterborne UV resins, molecular weight becomes high and viscosity low, enabling waterborne UV resins to be used in high-end coatings on different substrates. 

Jean Marc Dubuis, Executive Vice President for Performance Resins at allnex, said at the ceremony, “Allnex developed the first UV polyurethane dispersion (PUD) in 1994 and continues to be a pioneer and leading supplier of waterborne UV resins. Waterborne UV technology has been successfully used in Europe and North America for 20 years. We strongly believe that water-based UV technology will be the future trend in the field of wood furniture paints. We feel very honored to have been given the opportunity to put our heads together and join forces with Mr. Fang and Bardese Group, whose innovative spirit and dedication to the development of green coatings in China we share.”