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2023 CoatingsTech Conference: Technical Highlights

By Leo Procopio, Paintology Coatings Research LLC The 2023 CoatingsTech Conference, organized by the American Coatings Association, convened June 26–28 in Cleveland. Exploring the theme “Coatings Technologies: Adaptation in a Complex World,” the first two days included several short courses, keynote and plenary addresses, the Mattiello Award Lecture, student posters, and more than 30 technical presentations on coatings technology. Although all the presentations cannot be summarized here, this article highlights several of the addresses and technical presentations. The keynote presentation by Dr. John Gilbert, chief R&D officer of Behr, kicked off the first day of technical sessions. His lecture, “Developing Coatings for a More Sustainable Future,” discussed the role of sustainability in the coatings industry and strategies for more efficient use of coatings. On the second day of the conference, Dr. Kurt Wood, industry consultant and retired senior principal scientist at Arkema, was awarded the Joseph J. Mattiello Lecture Award, which honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions to science, technology, or engineering related to the coatings industry. Wood’s lecture, titled “Visualizing How Coatings ‘Fail’–Service Life Viewed through the Lenses of Coatings Science,” focused on factors affecting the weathering of coatings and their service life. Day 2’s busy agenda also included a panel discussion on the “Future of Laboratory Work,” where several industry experts discussed the role of digitalization, automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data security. Following the panel discussion, Dr. Victoria Scarborough of The ChemQuest Group delivered the plenary address, “A Heat Map of New Technology in a Post-Pandemic World,” an examination of megatrends that are driving technology and offering opportunities for the coatings industry. The final day of the conference focused on environmental, health, and safety issues facing the coatings industry, as experts from government and ACA addressed developments that impact business and compliance efforts. As the conference drew to a close, Dr. Dane R. Jones, professor and associate dean, emeritus, at California Polytechnic State University, was presented the inaugural David F. Darling Prize. This award, named for the late ACA vice president of health, safety, and environmental affairs who passed away in 2022, honors Darling’s legacy in the industry. For 25 years, Darling served as a staunch advocate for the coatings industry, extending his expertise and contributions into the areas of sustainability and product stewardship, where he developed a wide network of professionals with the goal of creating science-driven solutions for the coatings industry. Demonstrating that same commitment and focus, Jones was recognized for his research that has played a key role in the quantification, rationalization, and realization of air pollution reduction efforts, and have provided valuable tools for industry’s continuing commitment to create a more sustainable future. Furthering the discussions of industry advances, the conference presentations covered new research and technologies designed to address some of the issues facing the paint and coatings industry today, and this article spotlights a selection of the addresses and technical talks. As always, readers are encouraged to seek out papers, authors, and presenters for more information, as well as check future issues of CoatingsTech magazine for the publication of some of the papers presented at the 2023 CoatingsTech Conference. Sustainability Sustainability is something the paint and coatings industry has been concerned with for decades. Often, regulations have been the impetus for efforts toward sustainability. These efforts, such as removing volatile organic compounds (VOC) content or materials of concern from raw materials and coating formulations, have also resulted in the development of safer products. Now the sustainability journey also encompasses ideas such as using more renewable or biobased materials, increasing coating durability to lower lifecycle costs, and improving production processes to lower carbon content or even achieve carbon neutrality, among others. It is heartening to see that our industry has truly embraced the underlying importance of working toward a more sustainable world, and many of the presentations at the CoatingsTech Conference clearly demonstrated that commitment. For instance, John Gilbert’s keynote presentation—”Developing Coatings for a New Sustainable Future”—touched on many of the areas where sustainability intersects with coatings, such as the elimination of materials of concern (including VOCs, PFAS, marine pollutants, and biocides); the efficient production and use of paint; the focus on the recyclability of both products and packaging, and efforts toward lowering one’s carbon footprint. Gilbert stressed that to lower VOC content, formulators must first understand ASTM D-6886—the analytical method used to measure VOC content and thereby determines what is considered a VOC—as well as monitor the VOC content of their raw materials. Accurate data on VOCs in raw materials are needed to ensure that formulating software can correctly calculate the levels of VOCs. Also, formulators need to educate their raw material suppliers and set limits for raw material VOCs early in the development cycle. Gilbert said that the strategy for removing PFAS from paint formulations is to work with raw material suppliers to remove fluorosurfactants and to evaluate alternative technologies to meet performance properties such as block resistance, substrate wetting, and dirt resistance. On the topic of making paint more efficiently, Gilbert stressed that some companies in the industry are already frequently using a zero-waste batch process but that they probably don’t get enough credit for it. In this process, the water that typically results from rinsing mixing kettles at the end of a batch, which now contains some paint solids, is then used in the next batch, thus eliminating the generation of waste. The efficient use of paint includes designing formulations for good coverage and hiding, as well as for better interior and exterior durability to extend the lifetime of a paint. For example, the industry has improved hiding with the introduction of higher hiding color pigments and binders and pigments that contribute to the proper spacing of titanium dioxide in the dry film, both of which lead to improved opacity. In addition, the improved dispensing accuracy of point-of-sale tinting equipment has enabled the use of more concentrated colorants, facilitating higher volume solids and better hiding. Regarding recyclability, Gilbert mentioned the PaintCare™ paint recycling program,1 through which consumers in 11 states and the District of Columbia can drop off old paints that are then recycled into new paint products. Gilbert explained how Behr has addressed the recyclability of paint cans by developing a new all-plastic can. Made of 100% recycled plastic, the can is also 100% recyclable after it has been emptied and any residual paint, once it has dried, has been peeled away from the interior of the container and then disposed. In the presentation titled “Novel Functional Coatings and Inks Fabricated with Biobased Polymers,” Shan Jiang, Ph.D., of Iowa State University described the use of biobased polymers in functional coatings. Jiang presented research on a biobased nanocomposite formed with cellulose and zinc oxide nanoparticles for the blocking of UV light in transparent films and discussed efforts toward developing an ink based on biobased cellulose polymers and silver nanoparticles for possible use in printing electronic circuits for space applications. While attempting to develop a transparent coating for food packaging using biobased materials that protects sensitive food from UV light, Jiang and his team evaluated the combination of biobased polymers, such as starch, cellulose, and their modified derivatives hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles, which are known to be good UV absorbers. Jiang found that the films based on HES and ZnO nanoparticles (0.8% by weight) provided only a slight improvement in lowering UV transmittance compared with a traditional food packaging film, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), that used the same level of ZnO. In an interesting result, however, he observed that a film based on HEC and 0.8% ZnO significantly lowered the amount of transmitted UV light to about 6%, while maintaining excellent visible light transmittance (73%) and transparency. This film was also much thinner compared with other technologies with similar performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the HEC-based films form a unique fractal network of ZnO nanoparticles, while the HES-based films show clustering of the nanoparticles. The more even distribution of the ZnO leads to better UV-blocking properties for the HEC-based films. Jiang explained that, although they have similar molecular structures, the differing cis- and trans-configurations of HES and HEC (Figure 1) lead to a difference in persistence length, resulting in a more linear conformation of the HEC polymer and a more coiled conformation of the HES polymer. The different conformations impact how the ZnO nanoparticles aggregate, and for HEC-based films, the result is less clustering than in the HES-based films. Figure 1. Molecular structure of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), with R being either H or CH2CH2OH. Jiang also described the development of an ink based on HEC and silver nanoparticles, in which the HEC acts as both a stabilizer and viscosity modifier for the silver nanoparticles. The ink can be applied by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing, a process in which the ink is propelled to the substrate by an electric field. Using EHD printing, the ink can be applied in very high-resolution lines with a width of just a few microns on flexible substrates and in low gravity. After sintering, the printed pattern has high conductivity. The intended application is to enable the printing of electronic circuits in space. Jiang explained that he and his team evaluated the EHD printing tests’ feasibility by running them in zero-gravity during parabolic flights, with good results. A presentation titled “Incorporation of Sustainability and Circular Economy Principles in Product Development” by Mike Jeffries of Covestro also addressed sustainability. In it, Jeffries discussed how circularity requires cooperation and joint solutions with companies working alongside partners up and down the value chain. Jeffries also stressed that sustainable raw materials are available to formulators. One of several examples he gave was biobased aniline, which is used to produce biobased methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). Based on the biomass of unrefined sugar from corn starch, wood, or straw, MDI is produced first through biocatalysis whereby the sugar becomes pre-aniline via use of microorganisms, and then with a second chemical reaction step whereby the pre-aniline material becomes 100% biobased aniline. The aniline is further reacted to eventually form biobased MDI. Jeffries also stated that pentamethylene diisocyanate (PDI) is the first aliphatic isocyanate with significant bio-content (71% renewable carbon) and offers a non-petroleum alternative to isocyanates such as hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). In addition, he described how the biobased PDI compares favorably with HDI for performance when formulated into coatings. He then spoke about the joint solutions that are enabling Covestro to work toward biobased HDI. For example, Covestro worked with Genomatica to develop biobased hexamethylene diamine (HMDA), the precursor to HDI, using biotechnology and renewable plant-based feedstocks. According to Jeffries, these are just some of the examples of biobased raw materials that are becoming more available to coatings formulators. Jeffries touched on how using coatings technologies that cure at lower temperatures can impact the use of energy in application. One example he gave is that using a two-component (2K) polyaspartic coating, which cures at ambient temperature, to replace a powder coating requiring an oven bake at 325 °F can result in a 75% reduction in energy usage at the manufacturing facility. Jeffries also discussed how the use of waterborne coatings can reduce both emissions and a company’s carbon footprint. For example, 2K waterborne polyurethanes that perform well enough can offer an alternative to solventborne 2K polyurethanes that rely on exempt solvents (e.g., Oxsol 100) to reach VOC targets. Application Technology Several very interesting presentations at the CoatingsTech Conference focused on new technologies for the coating application process. Brian Rearick and Ron Kralic of PPG gave a joint presentation titled “Precision Application Technology: Potential Benefits and Current Challenges,” describing a new coating application process that enables customization in two-tone automotive painting. Along with the trends of individualization and customization, two-tone color schemes for autos are becoming more popular. However, the traditional electrostatic spray process to paint a car in two colors is complex and labor and material intensive; it involves applying the first color (basecoat and clearcoat), curing, and then masking the car to enable application of the second color (basecoat and clearcoat) and another stage of curing. In the new process, the first color basecoat is applied, followed by precision application of the second color basecoat, and finally the clearcoat. Then the entire system cured. During this process, the second color coating is applied with precision jets onto the surface, resulting in very high transfer efficiency (>98%) and high edge resolution. The high resolution creates crisp lines, enabling printing of designs directly […]

2023 CoatingsTech Conference Highlights

[…] Dr. Jones has shared his expertise with industry, collaborating closely with ACA and many North American and global technical industry organizations. He was an active participant in the development of […]

Members Only The Grass Really Can Be Greener

[…] aware of, and interested in, learning more about green chemistry principles and how to implement them,” states Jennifer Young, senior program manager with the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute (GCI).

Explore Coatings

[…] online ACS Career Center job board and Visit the ACS Career Booth 1785 at the American Coatings Show this April 30 – May 2, 2024 Set up interviews during the […]

2022 American Coatings Conference: Technical Highlights

By Leo Procopio, Paintology Coatings Research, LLC The entire North American paint and coatings industry met in person for the first time in four years during the American Coatings Show and Conference, held April 5–7 in Indianapolis. The last in-person exhibit and conference were held in 2018—two years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. By all accounts, the 2022 conference and exhibit were overwhelming successes. People in the industry have been missing the in-person interaction for more than two years due to pandemic-related restrictions and were ready to get together to discuss all things concerning paint and coating. The American Coatings Conference consisted of nearly 760 attendees, all engaging in 90 presentations describing the latest advances in coatings technology. This article includes technical highlights from many of the sessions, which were held concurrently in four tracks. Further details can be found in the papers available in the proceedings of the conference. Some papers will also be published in future issues of CoatingsTech after peer review. The papers highlighted in this article will be presented according to some overarching themes that they addressed: Sustainability, Functional Coatings, Paint Fundamentals, and Additive Technologies. These brief summaries will hopefully serve to interest the reader to seek out the full papers and learn more about the thought-provoking topics presented during the conference. Sustainability Sustainability and sustainable development are concepts that are front and center for every business today. While sustainability can be defined as the long-term goal, as in achieving a more sustainable world, sustainable development is the process through which we achieve that goal. One definition of sustainable development comes from Our Common Future (aka, the Brundtland Commission Report), prepared in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development.1 It defines sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The concept of designing products which have lower impact on the environment and society is not new for the paint and coatings industry. Goals such as lowering volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in coatings and finding alternatives to surfactants that contain alkylphenol ethoxylates have been industry concerns for decades. More recently, innovation efforts have focused on additional topics such as removing other materials of concern (e.g., PFAS), using biobased raw materials, and lowering carbon footprint.  The impact of sustainability trends in innovation were clearly displayed at the exhibit and conference at booths, product presentations in the exhibit hall, and conference papers and presentations. One such paper, “The use of levulinates as coalescing agents in water-based coatings,” by Steven Block of NXTLEVVEL Biochem, received the American Coatings Award for most outstanding paper. Block described how NXTLEVVEL Biochem has commercialized a line of products derived from levulinic acid, which the U.S. Department of Energy has identified as one of the top 12 renewable chemicals. The products include levulinate esters and levulinic ketals (Figure 1), and are derived from non-food biomass such as corncobs and bagasse from sugar cane. Block described how the biobased content of the derivatives could be up to 100% biobased. For example, butyl levulinate can be produced at either 58% or 100% biobased content, depending on whether or not the source of butanol is biobased. In addition, they have a lower carbon footprint compared to petrochemical-based solvents. The example given was for ethyl levulinate (0.347 kg CO2-eq/kg) vs typical petrochemical based solvents (2 to 5 kg CO2-eq/kg). The levulinate esters (R = ethyl, butyl) are readily biodegradable, and the ketals are ultimately biodegradable. The use of derivatives including butyl levulinate and ethyl levulinate propanediol ketal as coalescing solvents for waterborne coatings was investigated. Due to their low water solubility and slow evaporation rates, it was proposed that they could be good coalescents for latex coatings. They were compared to some common coalescents, such as 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate (aka Texanol). Evaluations in waterborne coatings based on several acrylic and acrylic/fluoropolymer emulsion polymers were conducted and demonstrated that the levulinate derivatives gave comparable or better compatibility, MFFT reduction, gloss and hardness development and water-resistance properties compared to the standard coalescing solvents. On a weight basis, the levulinate derivatives were more efficient at lowering MFFT compared to the standard solvents. A second presentation discussing biobased raw materials was “Lignin as a raw material for production of biobased resins,” by Mojgan Nejad of Michigan State University. Nejad explained that after cellulose, lignin is the second-most abundant natural polymer, and is a byproduct of pulp and paper and bioethanol production. Lignin is a random polymer derived from phenolic precursors (p-coumaryl, coniferyl and sinapyl alcohol), and its composition varies based on the biomass source as well as the isolation method. Because it varies so widely, Nejad stressed that analytical methods are necessary to characterize the lignin being evaluated. For example, 31P NMR is used to measure hydroxyl content (following conversion to phosphate derivatives). Molecular weight, polydispersity index, elemental analysis, and characterization of aliphatic and aromatic hydroxyls are all important information to gather. Lignin was evaluated as a replacement for phenol in phenol-formaldehyde adhesives. A relatively low molecular weight lignin was reacted with formaldehyde to produce a lignin-formaldehyde resin. In addition, glyoxal was used as a biobased alternative to formaldehyde to generate a completely biobased lignin-glyoxal resin. Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), it was found that the lignin-formaldehyde resin cured at the same temperature as a commercial phenol-formaldehyde resin, while the lignin-glyoxal resin needed slightly higher temperatures (165 °C vs 145 °C). A reactivity analysis of 20 varieties of lignin with phenylisocynanate was done to identify an appropriately reactive lignin to replace the polyol in polyurethane formulations. The lignin polyol was used in a wood coating and compared to a commercial polyurethane. Although there was initially some concern about color, such a lignin-based polyurethane appears to have suitable appearance over wood or could be used in applications where color is not an issue. Nejad also described replacing bisphenol A in epoxy resins by modifying lignin with biobased epichlorohydrin (from glycerol) to form an epoxidized lignin resin. The lignin-based epoxy resin was combined with a commercially available biobased curing agent (derived from cashew nutshell liquid) to form a fully biobased epoxy system. Nejad ended her presentation with the excellent question to the audience, “Isn’t it time to start thinking about using lignin-based resins to formulate more sustainable coatings?” In the presentation, “Aliphatic glycidyl  ethers as crosslinkers for high-performance NISO coatings,” Brendon Bohnert of Nagase Specialty Materials NA discussed new epoxy crosslinkers, made from biobased sorbital, which can be used in two-component, high performance non-isocyanate (NISO) coatings. Bohnert described how there is interest in coatings made without isocyanate for EH&S reasons, but that there are also challenges in meeting the high-performance requirements. Two tetrafunctional aliphatic epoxy crosslinkers were described, based on the epoxidation of biobased sorbitol (Figure 2). One is designed for waterborne coatings (EEW = 173 g/eq), and the other for solventborne coatings (EEW = 191 g/eq), with about 15% biobased content. Each was evaluated as a crosslinker for acid-functional acrylic resins in formulated 2K NISO systems and tested direct-to-metal (DTM) and as a topcoat over organic zinc-rich and epoxy primers. Comparisons were made to a 2K solventborne acrylic polyurethane and a commercial 2K solventborne NISO topcoat. The solventborne aliphatic epoxy crosslinker gave an ambient-cure NISO system with promising corrosion resistance and durability (gloss and color retention in accelerated Xenon arc testing) and improved flexibility/impact resistance compared to the commercial NISO and 2K polyurethane topcoats. Bohnert added that formulating work will continue, aimed at improving pot life and dry time and optimizing corrosion resistance. The waterborne NISO system displayed excellent pot life, dry time and impact resistance, and Bohnert alluded to further formulating work designed to improve gloss and corrosion resistance. The last presentation with a sustainability theme to be described here was “Improving the odds of success using a benign-by-design approach to product development,” presented by Ingrid Meier of Evonik Corporation. Meier discussed a unique strategy used in the development of new dynamic wetting agents. Dynamic wetting agents require molecules to quickly align at the air/water interface, especially after the system is disturbed. Key structural features include short, often branched hydrophobes, which prevent strong micelle formation. Dynamic wetting agents are also low molecular weight and can’t meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) definition of a low-risk polymer under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which in turn brings considerable risk to the registration process for a new molecule due to the significant time and cost for required testing. EPA uses quantitative structure-activity relationships to model potential ecotoxicity behavior, and has a publicly available model (EPI Suite™) that can be downloaded from its website and used to understand how the EPA might view the risk profile of a new substance in absence of data. The project team utilized the modeling to predict the ecotoxicity of “paper” molecules, and along with their understanding of structural requirements for dynamic wetting and low foam, drive the development process and minimize the amount of ecotoxicity testing needed. In a pre-concept stage, the team identified nine chemical classes which they predicted to perform well as low-foam dynamic wetting agents. Using the models in EPI-Suite to predict aquatic ecotoxicity and biodegradability, they were able to narrow the choices to three chemical classes: thioethers, hydroxythioethers, and N,N-dialkylglucamines. Examples were prepared and then all components present at > 1% were identified, and EPI Suite was used to predict their environmental, health, and safety profile. Meier explained that after further fine tuning for performance, the two leading candidates created by the benign-by-design process, a thioether and hxdroxythioether, were ushered through the registration process quickly and efficiently. Functional Coatings Another key trend in coatings technology has been the development of coatings with functionality beyond the typical protective and aesthetic properties of paints and coatings. For example, functional coatings that provide enhanced haptics, self-healing, thermal insulation, and anti-microbial properties are available. The topic of functional coatings was well represented at the conference, with a full-day session devoted to the subject. A discussion on coatings capable of removing formaldehyde from the air in a building was presented by Mark Langille of Angus Chemical Company in the presentation, “Creating functional coatings with formaldehyde-scavenging additives.” Formaldehyde has been identified as a key chemical species that negatively affects indoor air quality, and which has detrimental effects on human health. As Langille explained, there are many sources of formaldehyde, such as cigarette smoke, particle board used in furniture, and carpeting. A French study was cited that showed that formaldehyde is a high concentration contaminant of indoor air, and the World Health Organization has set a threshold where a formaldehyde level above 80 ppb (100ug/m3) is considered contaminated air. Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS AMINO™), an aminoalcohol additive, was evaluated as an additive for paints and coatings which have the ability to react with airborne formaldehyde and remove it as an indoor air contaminant. The reaction of TRIS-AMINO with two equivalents of formaldehyde proceeds through a mono-oxazolidine to eventually produce a bis-oxazolidine and water (Figure 3). Although the reactions are reversible, harsh conditions (i.e., acid) are needed to regenerate the starting materials, and under ordinary circumstances the oxazolidine products are quite stable. TRIS AMINO was incorporated into a model architectural paint formulation at levels of 0 to 0.8% on total formulation weight, and dried paint films were evaluated according to the method of ISO 16000-23 to demonstrate the ability to remove formaldehyde. Coated panels were placed in a chamber and air containing formaldehyde (at 80 ppb) was circulated through the chamber, and formaldehyde concentration was measured for air exiting the chamber. Without a scavenger, only 0 to 10% of the formaldehyde is removed from the air after 21 days, while approximately 50% is removed by the sample containing TRIS AMINO. Other paint properties were similar to the control with no additive. Andrew Bartlett of Chromaflo Technologies examined bringing the functionality of electrical conductivity to coatings in the presentation, “The use of single-walled carbon nanotubes in coatings colorants.” Nanoparticles can be difficult to handle and disperse in a manufacturing environment, and Bartlett explained how Chromaflo Technologies has created single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) dispersions to take the potential issues of handling and dispersing SWCNTs out of the paint manufacturer’s facilities. The SWCNT dispersions are already used in thermoset applications, and studies were initiated to understand their potential utility in paints and coatings. For waterborne coatings, the addition of SWCNTs to phthalo green and bismuth vanadate colorants was investigated, with levels of 0, 40, 400, and 657 ppm for the phthalo green colorant, and 0, 40, and 400 ppm for the bismuth vanadate colorant. Coatings with electrical resistance in the range to allow static dissipation could be achieved at 400 ppm and above, but electrical resistance was not quite low enough for the coatings to be considered conductive. Color is sacrificed at the higher levels of SWCNT, i.e., the color becomes darker. However, a comparison with carbon black at the same 400 ppm in the yellow bismuth vanadate colorant shows that the carbon black causes much more darkening compared to the SWCNT. In a solventborne acrylic clear base, addition of 400 ppm SWCNT achieved conductivity, but was lost on addition of phthalo green colorant. Bartlett proposed a few possible reasons why the clear base with only SWCNT was conductive while the pigmented base was not, including interactions of dispersants with the SWCNT, steric interference of the SWCNT conductive pathway by the pigments, and possible affinity of the SWCNT for the pigment surface. Further study with inorganic pigments (red iron oxide and TiO2 ) and an alternative additive package demonstrated the ability for pigmented bases to remain conductive. Overall, Bartlett stressed that these were early studies, and more work needs to be done. However, the initial results show promise that color spaces with conductivity can be achieved by using SWCNT dispersions. In another interesting presentation on functional coatings, a unique anti-microbial additive was discussed by Avantika Golas of Corning Incorporated. The paper, “Key considerations for functional virucidal paints,” described the use on a novel copper-glass ceramic additive as a sustainable delivery system for Cu+1 ions with high anti-microbial efficacy. Golas first described how surfaces facilitate the spread of microbes through both indirect contact (touching a previously contaminated surface) and aerosol spread, and that spread can be very fast. As an example, it has been shown that a contaminated surface can lead to spread throughout a building within 2 to 4 hours. Disinfection techniques, such as liquid spray, are prone to errors (surfaces missed during cleaning) and are episodic in nature, while contamination occurs constantly. Therefore, surfaces with residual efficacy can provide an additional layer of protection. Golas noted how testing of products claiming to be bactericidal and virucidal needs to be conducted to simulate realistic environmental conditions and contamination. Wet testing has strong incumbency, and uses test conditions at elevated temperature (37 °C) and humidity (>95% RH). However, there is a slow trend towards regulatory adoption of dry test standards, which are done at room temperature (20-24 °C) and ambient humidity (40-50% RH). To pass the dry test conditions, a truly bactericidal/virucidal product must demonstrate a > 3 log kill of microbes on the surface within 2 hours, i.e., greater than 99.9% reduction in the number of […]

2021 CoatingsTech Conference Highlights

Highlights from ACA’s 2021 CoatingsTech Conference June 28 – 29, 2021 Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown | Pittsburgh, PA         Essential Coatings Technology: Supporting Tomorrow’s Sustainable Development Challenges Today […]

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