Evonik offers solutions for nearly every requirement in the coatings market

Evonik unveiled its new portfolio for the coatings and adhesives industry at the European Coatings Show (ECS). With approximately 2000 products, the Essen-based specialty chemicals producer offers a large number of creative solutions for the coatings industry. The acquisition of the Specialty Additives business of Air Products underscores the Group’s leading position in the coatings market and greatly expands its product range.

"With the recently finaliSed acquisition of the Specialty Additives business of Air Products, we have further strengthened our performance capability for our customers. The acquisition perfectly supplements our portfolio, both regionally—particularly in the USA and Asia—and technologically,” says Dr Claus Rettig, Chairman of the Board of Management of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH. Evonik has, thereby, increased its overall sales in the coatings and additives markets to about €2.4BN, of which, €2BN is in the coatings area alone.

The USA-based epoxy curing agents business appeared for the first time under the Evonik logo. This makes Evonik the global leader in the epoxy curing agent industry, focusing on the key markets of coatings, floor coverings, adhesives and composite materials. Evonik’s former coating additives business has been merged with the coatings unit of the Silica Business Line and the coatings Specialty Additives unit of Air Products to form the new Coating Additives Business Line. Rettig says: "We have here a unit with a technology platform that is unique worldwide, offering solutions for almost any challenge in the formulation of paints and coatings.” Looking to the future, he says: "We’ll continue to work on supplementing new technologies, not only by acquisitions but also through strategic innovations and our corporate venturing activities.”

Evonik is also building new plants and expanding existing ones, as described in the examples below.

 A new silica production plant in Sao Paulo (Brazil) came on stream in the second half of 2016. The products produced there will be used in paints and coatings for control of rheological properties, such as anti-settling agents and to improve anti-rust protection.

 A new plant at the Shanghai (Greater China) site for production of polymer dispersants for use in water-based systems in coatings and printing inks will soon be up and running. The plant is being built in response to rising demand, particularly in Asia, and is scheduled to start operation in the second half of 2017. Evonik expanded the capacity of the production plant for hydroxyl-terminated polybutadienes (HTPBs) in Marl (Germany); these are used, for example, as sealing compounds for insulating glass windows and in adhesives for vehicle construction. Start-up is scheduled for April 2017.

 Evonik is expanding the production capacities for high-molecular-weight polyesters at the Witten (Germany) site for use in customized solutions for the packaging industry. High-molecular-weight polyesters are an excellent alternative to the currently used epoxy-based coatings, thus supporting the demand for change expressed by global packaging manufacturers. The plant goes into operation in early 2018.

Some of the products Evonik presented at the ECS are described below.

 A new additive for the use of universal pastes in alkyd coatings: The new TEOG® Color-Aid technology expands the application possibilities of pigment concentrates to include coatings based on alkyd resins. The new TEGO® Color-Aid is a compatibilizer, added to the formulation to improve compatibility between the pigment concentrate and the binder. New speciality additives for use in food-contact packaging: Airase antifoam and Surfynol wetting agent, both originally developed by the Specialty Additives business of Air Products, offer outstanding performance and comply with the requirements of the relevant regional and national regulatory authorities in many countries.

 New polyetheretherketone (PEEK) powders: Under the VESTAKEEP® brand name Evonik has developed novel PEEK powders that significantly reduce wear on components in sophisticated industrial applications, particularly for applications with very demanding mechanical, thermal, and chemical requirements.

 The new product VP RS 92, an easy-to-disperse variant of the well-known AEROSIL® R 972: In the production of coatings, this silica product ensures shorter processing and cleaning times and fewer product losses. Additionally, by eliminating a production step, fumed silicas reduce capital and maintenance costs.

The new DEGALAN® 42 series: With this, Evonik launches a new, comprehensive range of heat-sealing binders that ensure reliable sealing as well as clean, easy peel-off of yogurt cup lids. All the products of the new 42 series have narrower molecular weight distribution and lower viscosity.

An additional highlight for visitors to the Evonik stand was virtual immersion in the new high-throughput equipment (HTE) system by means of 360-degree video. Evonik uses the HTE system for fully automated testing of coating formulations, which shortens the search for the optimum formulation. Visitors to the stand could gain a vivid 360-degree "view" of the process.

In the coatings area, Evonik occupies leading global market positions in water-based additives, high-performance additives, medium- and high-molecular-weight polyesters, isophorone crosslinkers, curing agents, methacrylate monomers and polymers, organo-functional silanes, rheological additives, and matting agents. In the adhesives and sealants area, the company is also a leader in polyesters, polymethacrylates, polyamides, amorphous polyalphaolefins, silane-modified polymers and silicones, additives, fumed and precipitated silicas, organo-functional silanes, Fischer-Tropsch waxes, and polybutadienes.