February 2020

Architectural coatings have to withstand UV-radiation, rain, dust, fungal growth and more. At the same time, they should stay aesthetical pleasing for a long time. We spoke with experts about this issue and how climate change will affect architectural coatings.

Scientists examined the solubility properties of alkyd resins from phthalic and maleic anhydrides, glucitol and rubber seed oil (RSO) as raw materials.

What technological and scientific topics have particularly interested the coatings industry in the past year? Here are the technical top 10 from 2019.

Researchers have investigated the water resistance and corrosion protection properties of water-borne polyurethane (WPU) coating enhanced by montmorillonite modified with Ce3+.

Biofouling and biocorrosion ceaselessly deteriorate stainless steel (SS) serving in seawater environment. Finding versatile coating is essential for dually solving the two problems.

Bosch has announced job cuts and a review of its business to cope with a 44% drop in full-year operating profit and a lower demand for cars, adding that global automotive production may have peaked. According to Automotive News Europe and Reuters, global auto production is expected to drop for the third consecutive year, by 2.6% to 89 million vehicles in 2020. The drop is due to lower demand for cars in three key auto markets – China, the US, and Europe.

After less than 18 months of construction, Evonik officially opened its new multi-purpose silicones manufacturing facility in Geesthacht, Germany.

3M’s CEO said in a conference call that the company is increasing face-mask production around the world.

Five more factories in Myanmar completed the EU-funded “Smart” chemical management and detox programme during the second half of 2019. The factories, including Lin Zhan, Reeblue, Champion Winner Industry, Jiu Sheng and Textile Palace, took part in a six-month programme involving on-site assessment and consultancy, participation in technical training and a requirement for implementation of improvements.

BMW Malaysia exports the G30 520i to the Philippines Last week, the automotive industry received confirmation from the finance ministry that there will be no increase in car prices due to a new way of reporting open market value (OMV, which excise duty is calculated from), and the 100% exemption on the increase of OTR price will be for one year until December 31, 2020.