Specialty chemicals company LANXESS is presenting its comprehensive product portfolio for the coatings industry at the European Coatings Show in Nuremberg from March 29 – 31 under the motto “Pigments + Protection”. This includes the extensive Preventol range of biocides, the phosphorus-based halogen-free flame-retardant additives Levagard and Disflamoll, and a unique spray application for the intumescent foam Bayfomox. Both the high-performance pigments of the lightfast, weather-stable and chemical-resistant Bayferrox and Colortherm lines and the organic and inorganic pigment preparations Levanyl and Levanox bring some color into play.

Stand manager Dr. Volker Schneider, who is head of the Competence Center Paint in LANXESS’ Inorganic Pigments (IPG) business unit, explained: “The focus of LANXESS’ trade show presentation in Nuremberg is on tailored specialties that enable our customers to adapt their formulations precisely to the respective requirements in practice. We offer premium products, sustainable processes, applications expertise and support with registrations.” 

The unique reds of IPG’s Bayferrox 100 line cover a very broad range of hues, extending from a yellowish cast to a distinctly bluish shade. The high grinding stability and consistency of color quality achieved in the manufacture of these pigments is due not least to the Laux process. This process has been used in the world’s largest production facility for inorganic pigments at the company’s site in Krefeld-Uerdingen for 85 years. This method is exemplary in its consistent use of the reaction heat generated during synthesis. This heat is used for the production of steam and hot water for further process steps. The result is a process that requires virtually no external heat and whose energy efficiency is currently unsurpassed. 

At 4 p.m. on March 28, Schneider will deliver a presentation at the European Coatings Congress entitled “Red iron oxide pigments – all the same?”, which will explore the special features of the red hues produced using the Laux process.

Alongside the red shades LANXESS is also showcasing high-performance iron oxide yellow pigments at the ECS. The outstanding properties of the yellow low-silking pigment Bayferrox 915 result from its unique particle morphology. Since the pigment particles are virtually spherical, the “pigment needles” do not point in the direction of the brush strokes, and the silking effect is avoided. Thanks to its extremely small pigment particles that form virtually no aggregates, micronized Bayferrox 3910 LV is particularly suitable for highly filled low-viscosity pigment pastes. 

To boost business in outdoor applications, the Functional Chemicals (FCC) business unit is expanding its portfolio of pigment preparations in 2011. The new grades based on high-performance organic and inorganic pigments augment the existing Levanyl range, which has proven so successful in indoor applications. The new developments pave the way for purer, more brilliant hues with excellent light fastness, thus significantly enhancing color space.

In addition, the versatile supplier of colorant specialties is optimizing its distribution channels in Europe. In the second quarter of 2011, FCC will expand the established logistics concept for soluble Macrolex dyes to its full range of colorants. “This will enable us to offer our highly specialized customers even more flexibility. In the future, European customers will be able to buy even small colorant quantities directly from LANXESS,” said Dominik Risse, head of Colorants Marketing at FCC. 

In conjunction with Haan-based company FluidSystems, the Functional Chemicals (FCC) business unit has developed a new spray foam application for the two-component Bayfomox polyurethane system. This unique intumescent coating enables both complex components and items that have already been incorporated to be made flame-retardant quickly and efficiently. Bayfomox spray foam coatings outperform conventional intumescent coatings when it comes to heat insulation. In addition, they boast soundproofing properties that can be adjusted if necessary. 

FCC will also be showcasing the versatile Disflamoll and Levagard phosphorus-based halogen-free additives. The special properties of these transparent flame retardants also enable them to be used in paints and coatings as VOC-free solvents, viscosity depressants, dispersion and wetting agents or antifoams.

A growing trend on the biocide market is the use of cost-efficient products that are effective against target organisms without damaging the environment. The proven Preventol line of products from the Material Protection Products (MPP) business unit includes an increasing number of formulations containing no volatile organic compounds (VOC), formaldehyde or ingredients harmful to the environment. In Nuremberg, LANXESS will present biocidal active ingredients and biocide formulations for a variety of applications, including wood protection products, anti-fouling systems and the conservation of paints, coatings or plasters. 

Effective protection against microorganisms plays a key role in sustainable product optimization. This topic will be addressed at the European Coatings Congress by Dr. Frank Sauer, Coatings Technical Marketing Manager at MPP, in his presentation “Sustainable Coatings – Latest developments on slow release techniques of biocides” at 12 noon on March 29.

At 5 p.m. on March 30, Monika Lamoratta, MPP expert for molecular biology, will also deliver a presentation at this congress, on the culture-independent characterization of bacteria using cutting-edge molecular biology methods in the area of aqueous coatings.