Herbol introduces the first facade coating with nanotechnology from BASF

Facade coating based on BASF’s nanobinder COL.9®.

Advantage: less soiling, higher color retention.

Herbol®, the brand for professional architectural paints and coatings from Akzo Nobel, introduced the first facade coating based on BASF’s innovative nanobinder COL.9® in Cologne. The secret? Facades coated with Herbol-Symbiotec™ display much lower dirt pick-up and excellent color retention.

Herbol-Symbiotec is the result of many years of development collaboration between Akzo Nobel and BASF. “It is extremely important for us to have found as experienced and competent a partner as Akzo Nobel to market our innovative COL.9 binder”, says Jan-Peter Sander, head of BASF’s Adhesive and Construction Polymers regional business unit and thus responsible for the architectural coatings business in Europe. BASF and Herbol have signed an exclusive co-branding for COL.9 until the end of 2007. Ernst Häring, head of Research and Development at Akzo Nobel in Cologne, emphasizes: “Herbol-Symbiotec will allow us to further expand our position as innovation leader in architectural paints and coatings. With the help of our partner BASF, we have for the first time succeeded in combining the advantages of organic and inorganic coatings in a single product – that is a huge success.” The Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, near Berlin, has certified that Herbol-Symbiotec is a genuine nano facade coating.

Principle advantages of the new nano facade coating
With Herbol-Symbiotec, Herbol is launching a genuine innovation on the market. Its principle? During the production of COL.9 binders, inorganic nanoparticles are incorporated homogeneously into organic polymer particles of water-based dispersions. They then form a three-dimensional network in the facade coating which ensures an extremely hard and hydrophilic surface and a good balance between moisture protection and water vapor transmission: with Herbol-Symbiotec falling water droplets wet the substrate evenly. This means the facade dries faster and thus picks up less dirt.

Since the hard surface of the coating exhibits extremely low thermoplasticity and thus low tack, it is virtually impossible for dirt to stick. The symbiosis between organic and inorganic components makes Herbol-Symbiotec extremely dirt repellent: facades coated with Herbol-Symbiotec stay longer clean and attractive. This is why BASF markets COL.9 under the slogan “anti-aging for facades”.

And there are other benefits of the new coating. Its high mineral content and extremely fine dispersion means it is slower to burn. The color film does not melt or drip. Because the inorganic nano particles are incorporated homogeneously into the binder, a high degree of color retention is achieved that lasts for a long time and also prevents chalking (separation of pigments).

As a water-thinnable facade coating, Herbol-Symbiotec is extremely easy to handle. It is particularly suitable for coatings on common mineral (plaster mortar) and organic bonded substrates and concrete. The nano facade coating also contains preservative to protect the coating against algae and fungal growth. It is available in white and in thousands of pastel tones.