Drivers to improve the environmental footprint of coatings have been present since the 1960s, and customers are increasingly demanding high-performance, green coating technologies. Enabling technology developed in the marketplace to meet these demands has primarily revolved around reducing the volatile organic compound content, eliminating hazardous air pollutants and similar strategies. These incremental improvements, while impactful, are not significant enough to enable customers to truly operate in a manner that is better for the environment and kinder to employees. Isocyanates and formaldehyde are objectionable ingredients in coatings but have been considered necessary evils in producing a high-quality finish of superior performance. Recent innovations have brought new isocyanate/formaldehyde-free technology to the marketplace; however, customers have been unable to transition to this chemistry in the general industrial market due its lack of adhesion to metal substrates. This was the state of the industry until today.
Sheboygan Paint Company has developed a patent-pending technology that bridges this gap. The new innovation enables isocyanate/formaldehyde-free technology to be used not only in metal applications, it also proves to be highly efficacious over wood and a wide variety of primers. Products catalyzed with this unique catalyst will still have hours of pot life, while curing quickly, and exhibiting superior corrosion and chemical resistance properties. In an environment of increasingly strict regulations, we anticipate the utility of this invention to span multiple markets, displacing conventional solventborne technologies.