Indorama Ventures took home top honors at the 2025 Waterborne Symposium, with its researchers earning both the Siltech Best Paper Award for Innovation and the PCI Award for Technical Excellence. The symposium, recognized for showcasing groundbreaking advancements in environmentally friendly coating technologies, celebrated the achievements of Bruno Dario and Michael Praw, whose papers highlighted innovative strategies for resin emulsification and additive selection.

Bruno Dario Honored with PCI Award for Technical Excellence

Bruno Dario of Indorama Ventures was awarded the PCI Award for Technical Excellence for his paper, Innovative Strategies for Emulsifying Alkyd Resins for Water-Based Coatings. Due to his absence at the event, his colleague Michael Praw accepted the award on his behalf. The award was presented by Tom Fowler, Publisher of PCI Magazine, which will publish Dario’s winning paper in an upcoming issue.

Dario’s research focuses on emulsifying medium-in-oil alkyd resins, a historically challenging process, by developing a specialized solvent and optimizing emulsifier compositions. His work demonstrated a significant reduction in viscosity and improved emulsification techniques, leading to stable, fast-drying alkyd emulsions. The findings hold promise for expanding water-based formulations across additional resin classes, including epoxies.

Michael Praw Wins Siltech Best Paper Award for Innovation

Michael Praw, also of Indorama Ventures, received the Siltech Best Paper Award for Innovation for his research titled Can Simulation Tools and Physicochemical Properties Guide the Selection of Additives?. His work provides a data-driven approach to the selection of wetting and dispersing agents in pigment concentrate formulations. By leveraging physicochemical methodologies, digital tools, and high-throughput screening, Praw’s study introduces a systematic, efficiency-driven method to additive selection—an advancement that could significantly reduce formulation time and enhance performance predictions.

Indorama Ventures’ Continued Leadership in Coatings Innovation

The dual recognition of Indorama Ventures’ researchers underscores the company’s commitment to advancing environmentally friendly and high-performance coatings technologies. The Waterborne Symposium, held annually in New Orleans, serves as a leading forum for innovation in sustainable coatings solutions, attracting top industry experts and researchers from around the world.