WASHINGTON — The American Coatings Association (ACA) presented a series of awards recognizing both professionals and students for their innovative work in coatings technology at the association’s 2019 CoatingsTech Conference. The conference, held April 8-10 in Cleveland, featured the CoatingsTech Best Paper Award, Mattiello Memorial Award and Student Poster Session Awards. The conference award presentations took place the morning of April 9, the second day of the technical conference.

Held every two years, the CoatingsTech Conference provides coatings professionals an opportunity to review innovative technologies and applications shaping the industry, as well as regulatory trends and networking opportunities.

The CoatingsTech Best Paper Award was presented to Dr. Linqian Feng, Senior Scientist for Eastman Chemical Co.’s Coatings Application Research Group, for her paper titled, “From Fundamentals to Applications: Understanding BPA-Non-Intent Resin Technology in Food Contact Metal Packaging Coatings.” Feng addressed how Eastman applied a suite of methods and analysis techniques — from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cathodic disbanding, to mechanical properties, hydrolytic stability and solvent extraction properties — for a resin development strategy for novel non-BPA resins in metal packaging coating applications.

Dr. Michael Diebold, who delivered the conference’s Mattiello Memorial Lecture, received the Joseph J. Mattiello Lecture Award. Diebold, Technical Fellow, R&D, at Chemours Co., delivered a lecture titled, “Optimizing the Benefits of TiO₂ in Paints.” The award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science, technology, and/or engineering related to the coatings industry, honoring its namesake, Joseph J. Mattiello, who did much to expand the application of science in the decorative and protective coatings field. Diebold was selected for the award through a peer-nomination process. Over the course of his career, a major focus of his attention has been improving paint opacity by optimizing light scattering.

Two Student Poster Awards were given to students involved in coatings research, who presented their findings during the CoatingsTech Conference’s poster competition. This forum offered a non-commercial arena for new ideas and techniques, and a showcase for preliminary results related to chemistry, engineering, human relationship, or other disciplines fundamental to paint, coatings, varnish, lacquer, or related protective and decorative coatings.

Haoran Wang, of the University of Akron, received the first-place Student Poster Award for his poster, “Synthesis and Application of Modified Cardanol as Bio-Based Reactive Diluents for Alky Coating.” 

Jackson Benda, of North Dakota State University, received the second-place Student Poster Award for his poster, “Effect of Surface Modifying Amphiphilic Additives (SMAAs) on Siloxane-Polyurethane (SiPU) Fouling-Release Coatings.”

For more information about the CoatingsTech conference and program highlights, visit https://www.paint.org/2019-coatingstech-conference-review/.