Clariant, the Swiss specialty chemicals company, inaugurated Germany's biggest pilot plant for the production of climate-friendly cellulose ethanol from agricultural waste.
In response to concerns raised by members, core LEED users and stakeholders, and in an effort to provide the marketplace a view of the full LEED program experience prior to ballot, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that it will delay ballot on LEED 2012 until June 1, 2013 (or potentially earlier in 2013 if USGBC members and the market indicate readiness for ballot).
Along with the challenges facing the coatings industry during the global economic downturn, coatings manufacturers have seen increased volatility in raw material prices, due in part to the rise in crude oil prices and geopolitical issues in some oil-producing countries.
Architectural coatings protect and beautify buildings but use tremendous amounts of petroleum, water and energy. Environmental imperatives mean that sustainability of architectural coatings is increasingly vital, and their role in building energy efficiency is growing with the widespread acceptance of building standards such as LEED and NZEB, according to a Lux Research report.
Delaware Governor Jack A. Markell, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara and Croda Inc. President Kevin Gallagher broke ground June 7, 2012, on construction of a $6 million landfill-gas-to-energy project at the Croda Atlas Point chemical manufacturing plant in New Castle, DE.
Tennant Co. has launched sustainable urethane floor coatings that are 50 percent soy plant-based and specifically designed for manufacturing, industrial and warehousing facilities.
Some of the most remarkable new coatings, like color-changing and smog-eating coatings, are applied to metal using the highly advanced continuous coil coating process.
The American Coatings Show and Conference was held May 7-10 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. With 427 exhibitors and more than 7,500 overall participants from 69 countries, this year’s ACS broke all of its previous records for visitors, exhibitors and footprint.
One little-known benefit of the coil coating process is its ability to apply coatings to metal with virtually no harmful impact on the environment by making the VOCs all but disappear.
