Muttenz, May 28, 2020 – Clariant unveils solutions fit for elevating industrial coatings to the demanding performance and increasing sustainability requirements of North America’s diverse end-users – the automotive, transportation, building & construction, and consumer & household goods industries.

Delivering innovations in key areas, such as light stability and durability, fire resistance, waterborne and low VOC coatings, and higher solid solvent-borne coatings, the latest additions to Clariant’s portfolio equip local manufacturers to get to the crux of new sector needs and make the most of opportunities in the globally-growing industrial coatings market.

“More is required of industrial coatings, whether for a car or truck, earth-moving equipment or for structural steel work, than just a finishing decorative touch. Their users look for protection that will extend the lifecycle of industrial applications and deliver high performance in areas such as wear and corrosion resistance. At the same time, reduced environmental impact is an increasing priority. Our additives expand the manufacturers’ toolbox so that future coatings can really raise the bar in meeting customer needs,” comments Tyler Kilgannon, Head of Sales, BU Additives North America.

Longer fire resistance time for sustainable steel constructions
Steel is North America’s most recycled material, gaining in popularity for commercial and industrial buildings and infrastructure due to its strength, durability, versatility and 100% recyclability[1] [2]. Clariant now offers manufacturers of intumescent, fire-protective steel coatings the chance to take their products’ sustainability and protection performance a step further.

New halogen-free flame retardant Exolit® AP 418 (TP) helps solvent based intumescent coatings for steel structures to reach up to 10% longer fire resistance time compared to conventional solutions. Clariant’s EcoTain®-labelled flame retardant has a favorable environmental and health profile, making no contribution to a solvent-based coating’s VOC emissions.

Clariant also introduces its North America customers to a new solution for water-based intumescent coatings, to sustainably improve the negative impact of cold weather exposure during shipping and storage. Halogen-free Exolit AP 435 prolongs the shelf life, keeping the coating fluid and workable for longer by preventing paints from either drying out quickly in their pail or becoming unusable due to increased stiffness. The EcoTain-labelled innovation supports a greater use of waterborne coatings and reduces the environmental impact of intumescent coatings.

Both Exolit innovations will be featured in a special live webinar “Clariant's new Exolit solutions for fire protective water- and solvent-borne coatings” on Wednesday June 17 at 9am Eastern Daylight Time / 15:00 Central European Summer Time. Pre-register here to participate and get in-depth info on the new products direct from Clariant’s experts.

Extending service life of protective coatings
Attention turns to service life with a new opportunity to improve the durability of industrial coatings and better protect the application.

On the back of positive development of the US-based[3] [4] automotive manufacturing announced in 2019, Clariant is supporting producers of paints and clear coats for metal and plastics automotive components by offering solutions aimed at extending the service life of coatings. The synergistic high-performance light stabilizer solution AddWorks® LXR™ 313 contributes to an increased durability of waterborne and solvent-based clear and pigmented coatings. Formulated without xylene, it extends its benefits from automotive to general industrial applications. AddWorks LXR 313 enables coating formulators to develop new solutions for today’s modern coating systems where light and heat stabilization are key requirements.

Global wax manufacturer offering PTFE waxes compliant with upcoming PFOA ban[5]
Based on the persistency of PFOA, the European parliament decided to ban PTFE substances that contain PFOA in a concentration equal to or above 25 parts per billion (grams per thousand tons) with reference to entry 68 of Annex XVII of REACH. The effective date is July 4, 2020 and exemptions that are currently under discussion will only be temporary.

Conforming with this new REACH regulation[6], Clariant is expanding its portfolio and introducing its new Ceridust® 3942 F TP and Ceridust 3943 F TP to give its customers more options to select REACH compliant PTFE wax solutions. These new micronized PTFE modified polyethlene wax additives enable powder coatings with a fine and homogeneous textured structure and a matte finish. The new solutions show excellent properties in terms of mar resistance, dirt repellence and anti-slip performance. The need for PFOA REACH-compliant PTFE waxes can also be observed for other coating and also ink applications. Clariant’s new Ceridust 9203 F TP helps to improve scratch and metal marking resistance as well as the slip performance. Customers benefit from an improved appearance and longevity of coated surfaces and prints.

Clariant Additives offers a broad range of wax additives to the coatings & ink industry. Its Ceridust micronized waxes for coatings, printing inks & lacquer fit to different technology platforms e.g. solvent borne, water borne, powder coating & UV curing platform etc.

In addition to its support for the region’s industrial coatings market, Clariant offers a wide range of high-performance solutions prolonging the protective, functional, decorative and sustainable benefits of wood and architectural coatings customized to the needs of the North American markets. Find out more about all its sustainable innovations at clariant.com/coatings-hub and pre-register here for the webinar “Clariant's new Exolit solutions for fire protective water- and solvent-borne coatings”, taking place on Wednesday June 17 at 9am Eastern Daylight Time / 15:00 Central European Summer Time.