INNOVATION – OUR R&D STRATEGY WITH YOU AT THE CENTER
Developing green, unique chemistry does not just happen. It takes making the right connections between your requirements, evolving industry standards and market trends and our longstanding expertise as a specialty chemicals pioneer to deliver a unique, environmentally-friendly solution catered to your needs. Through constant innovation in a wide array of resin technologies, our global footprint, outstanding customer support and the industry’s broadest product portfolio, we hold a unique position to support formulators in developing new green, high-performance and cost-effective coating solutions that will reach the market quickly. Together we can shift the global paints and coatings industry towards sustainable products. One molecule at a time.
Sustainable portfolio management “SUSTAINABLE PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT IS THE KEYSTONE OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM. IT ENABLES US TO STEER OUR PRODUCT OFFERING AND INNOVATION PIPELINE IN LINE WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS OF THE MARKET. IT WILL ENABLE US TO SUPPORT OUR CUSTOMERS, END-MARKETS, AND STAKEHOLDERS”
Benoit De Becker
VP Strategy & Innovation
Through the Sustainable Portfolio Management we aim to continuously drive our product innovation towards a positive environmental impact and to unveil the ECOWISETM value of our product offer. We categorize our products by analysing their sustainable benefits and challenges, using a fact-based methodology. The sustainability assessment refers to the five sustainability pillars of allnex: renewable sourcing, safer materials, air emissions, circular economy, and energy efficiency- and the specific requirements of regulatory and certification embodies and includes key industry players relevant for the Industrial wood market.
Our ECOWISE™ CHOICE portfolio is the answer to the need for measurable sustainability performance assessments, in a specific market and application context and is especially designed to deliver the greatest combined value for our customers, the society and the environment. It is a testament to our pledge to pursue a more sustainable future with our stakeholders – to be ECOWISE together.
Read more about ECOWISE™ CHOICE
As a global resin supplier sensitive to the importance of unique regional performance demands, allnex has 23 technical centers across the world so that your new coatings developments work far beyond your local laboratory conditions but also across multiple layer and application situations in multiple environmental domains. As allnex supplies the widest variety of resins in the industry, we have the capability of testing total paint system solutions from basecoat-clearcoat to primer-topcoat, we’re looking at system performance as that’s what’s important to our customers. Since allnex is one of the few resin companies doing innovative research we don’t only offer incremental improvements we offer sustainable, breakthrough technologies for the betterment of our customers, our environment and society as a whole.
OUR GREEN PRODUCT OFFERING
Sustainable resins are moving from the buzz to reality. Many of our customers are intent on delivering greener products to the marketplace, and we’ve responded to support their efforts with high quality solutions. Our research & development team uses the principles of green chemistry to improve products. Today, a significant share of our R&D projects is focused on developing sustainable solutions to our clients. We continually strive to increase the percentage of renewable, recycled, and non-harmful feedstocks in our products as well as to increase the breadth of products in which these materials are used.
The examples below illustrate allnex concrete commitment to the development of sustainable solutions for our customers.
RENEWABLE AND RECYCLED RAW MATERIALS
Setathane hydrophobic polyols made of natural oils
allnex produces an important line of SETATHANE® “Hydrophobic Polyols” used in self levelling compounds and topcoats in industrial flooring applications. The most predominant raw materials in these binders is by far natural oils like soybean and castor oil and as they are relatively low in viscosity are offered at either 100% solids or in water. As these materials are obviously so very green friendly, we’re doing everything we can to expand their application and utility windows so that their use is expanded and they take share from other less green binders in adjacent flooring system layers.
EBECRYL® radiation curing resins with high bio-based content
The demand for bio-based content in radiation curing resins is increasing, among other thanks to the market pull created by some brand owners. EBECRYL 5850 is a high performing acrylated UV resin with 56% renewable content, fit for LED curing thanks to its high reactivity, combining excellent thermal and mechanical properties with low viscosity.
REDUCING CHEMICALS OF CONCERN
ACURE®
ACURE is a truly novel, 2k, high solids, non-isocyanate topcoat system with remarkable cure speed. ACURE enables the formulation of coatings with unparalleled dry speed with long pot lives. Customers using ACURE are able to provide their customers with truly differentiated coating solutions which are Eco and worker friendly and provide significant energy and capital cost, line speed and environmental benefits.
Easy Cure Waterborne Epoxy systems
allnex focuses intensely on waterborne primer systems and our Easy Cure system provides an excellent alternative for solvent borne systems having as a waterborne product truly unique dry time capabilities. Primers based on Easy Cure systems are faster to sand and handle yet still provide excellent corrosion resistance and metal protection. The development of next generation waterborne primer systems remains an innovation focal point for Allnex R&D centers.
Self-curing EBECRYL® LEO resins
Self-curing resins including EBECRYL LEO 10103 can be used to replace photoinitiators which may migrate for food packaging applications. Self-curing resins participate in the UV or EB cross-linking thus become part of the cured coating or ink.
Tin-free CRYLCOAT® and SETAPOLL® powder coating resins
We have a range of CRYLCOAT and SETAPOLL polyesters which do not use tin compounds during their manufacture. SETAPOLL™ SP211 and CRYLCOAT E04430 are just two examples of tin-free resins designed for Primid cure, outdoor applications. Tin-free hybrids for indoor applications are also available.
Formaldehyde-free CYMEL ® crosslinking resins
CYMEL NF formaldehyde free resins such as CYMEL® NF 3030 which is a solvent- and formaldehyde-free crosslinker designed for water-based coatings. This product is an acid-catalyzed alternative to isocyanates and does not contain or emit formaldehyde during cure. It provides longer two-component pot life compared with isocyanate systems while providing high performance finished coating properties with respect to hardness, chemical resistance, and finish appearance.
BPA-free EBECRYL® radiation curing resins for packaging inks
EBECRYL® radiation curing resins for BPA-free applications - such as EBECRYL 876 which is a polyester acrylate blend - can be used for replacing epoxy in BPA or BADGE containing coating formulas. Key end use benefits of using this resin include excellent coating flexibility and chemical resistance. Additional features of this product include matching epoxy viscosity, reactivity, gloss and solvent/scratch resistance.
REDUCING ENERGY CONSUMPTION
FAST (FC) curing 2k acrylic polyol systems
Focusing on today’s workhorse 2k acrylic polyol systems, allnex has devised multiple ways to significantly enhance the dry speed of 2k coatings systems with no detrimental effects, not in exterior durability nor certainly in pot life. We refer to the systems as FAST or FC and are developing product platforms which address the unique requirements of not only all major market segments like Vehicle Refinish or Marine & Protective or Agriculture and Construction but also for the different systems used in these regions. Reduced dry speed in “OEM” applications in particular means reduced energy consumption or reduced factory footprint both of which benefit the environment.
Low temperature cure CYMEL® amino resins
CYMEL aminos for low temperature cure applications such as CYMEL® XW 3106 which is an ultra-low free formaldehyde melamine resin formulated specifically for 2k solvent-borne ambient cure or low bake systems in which low temperature cure (<100C) characteristics are desired. It is an alternative to isocyanate-based systems and is ideal for temperature sensitive substrates such as plastics, consumer electronics and low bake industrial metals.
Low bake CRYLCOAT® powder resins
A range of CRYLCOAT® resins have been designed to cure between 20-50C below standard curing temperatures. Examples are CRYLCOAT® 1501-6 for application on MDF curing 130C and CRYLCOAT® 2696-3 curing 160C with Primid for outdoor applications.
EBECRYL® booster resin for LED curing
UV LED is fast becoming the new standard for all types of energy cured inks and coatings. EBECRYL LED series of products including EBECRYL LED 03 boost surface cure by reducing oxygen inhibition. This product is especially effective for flexo and inkjet inks as well as overprint varnishes allowing faster reactivity with better adhesion to non-porous substrates like plastic.
LONGEVITY
Longer steel lifecycle thanks to the BECKOPOX® waterborne epoxy primers
Extending a coating’s life is often only thought of at the topcoat level. However, when it comes to protecting steel in an outdoor environment, all the heavy lifting is ultimately done by the primer. Solventborne primers have traditionally provided the best performance in this area however allnex has and continues to advance some of the best waterborne epoxy primers, in particular via our BECKOPOX® EH waterborne epoxy hardeners, in the business. Realizing longer life cycles of coated steel through more corrosion resistant waterborne primers will remain a focal point within allnex research portfolios.
Superdurable CRYLCOAT® polyester powder resins
CRYLCOAT® 4442-2 and CRYLCOAT® 4488-0 are examples of superdurable polyester resins for TGIC cure. These resins are designed to have extended weathering performance typically for ACE and Architectural applications.