Bayferrox inorganic pigments from global specialty chemicals company LANXESS brought color to the race course at the Hydro-Québec Montréal ePrix, the racing category for electric-powered cars. The race took place in Montréal, Canada, at the end of July 2017. The Inorganic Pigments (IPG) business unit supplied nearly 37 metric tons of charcoal-colored Bayferrox 340 pigments to Canadian pre-cast concrete producer Beton Brunet based in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Québec, for the construction of 5.5 kilometers of concrete barriers that lined both sides of the 2.75 kilometer race course.

The race in Montréal was the last of the FIA Formula E circuit 2017’s third season that began in Hong Kong and toured eight other cities, including Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Paris, Berlin and New York. In motor sport, Formula E is a “sports platform for sustainability.”

Concrete barriers with aesthetic appeal separate race course

Formula E features full electric-powered cars and uses city streets for the race course. The concrete barriers used to block off the course and separate the crowds from the raceway were specially designed and constructed for the event at twice the size of standard barriers, and were adorned with Montréal’s city logo, adding aesthetic appeal.

“We were delighted about this exciting project, especially as sustainability is a great priority in Formula E,” said Lise Charron, Account Manager North America for the IPG business unit based in Montréal. “The theme of sustainability that this whole project is about is a great fit, as it aligns with many of the values of our business. The Bayferrox pigments used in the project are SCS-certified. Scientific Certification Systems is one of the leading companies for independent certification and determines, for example, the proportion of recycled raw materials used in an industrial production process.” The barriers were engineered to last and be re-used for several more seasons, as Montréal has signed a three-year contract to host the race.

“Prior to this project, we had only worked with pigments on a small scale, so our experience in regards to usage and color targets was limited,” said Isabella Bégin, Project Leader at Beton Brunet. “We were happy to partner with LANXESS on this project and receive their support with color selection and handling. The pigment experts were able to recommend a package size that could be directly dropped into our production process, eliminating dust, waste, extra handling steps and potential weighing errors.”

LANXESS is the world's largest manufacturer of iron oxide pigments and a leading producer of chrome oxide pigments. Both pigment types have proven effective for decades in a wide variety of applications for coloring building materials, paints and coatings as well as plastics and paper.