International Waterborne, High-Solids, and Powder Coating Symposium[R] Review
The Plenary Lecture, "Technology for Coatings in 2003; Now Come the Changes," was presented by Dr. Robert R. Matheson, Jr., of DuPont Performance Coatings. Matheson pointed out that coating science will continue to undergo change during the year with environmental pressures still playing an important role. Coating systems containing less than 30% solvent will continue to grow at the expense of lower-solids system. Such systems will be different, but perhaps not better in quality than low-solids systems. Tools such as controlled polymerization, modern analytical capabilities, nanoparticles, and structurally designed oligomers are felt to be specific areas that will determine future paths for the industry to follow. It appears to be the time in this industry when coating technology may lead materials development -- at least for the near future.
The symposium was comprised of 40 truly excellent papers. While manuscript quality is always high at this meeting, it seems to improve each year. The presentations dealt with a variety of topics that included additives, autodeposition developments, crosslinking, cured film and other analysis, new product synthesis and development, powder coatings, radiation-cured coatings, rheology, surfactants, and waterborne coatings. A particularly interesting paper was one that dealt with an additive that can improve surface "cleanability." This paper will be printed in an upcoming issue of PCI. There were six papers devoted to powder coatings and five papers devoted to radiation-cure technology. Particular sessions were well attended by attentive audiences.