Celanese Challenges Attendees to ECS 2009 to Create Coatings & Adhesives that Inspire Their Customers

Celanese introduces new starch line for glass fiber yarns

Celanese Challenges Attendees to ECS 2009 to Create Coatings & Adhesives that Inspire Their Customers

Emulsion Technology at the Heart of Eco-Friendly Solutions and a Broad Range of Product Differentiating Performance

Frankfurt, Germany. – At the European Coatings Show (ECS), Celanese Emulsion Polymers asked visitors to use the company’s emulsion polymer technology to create coatings and adhesives to ”inspire” their customers. At the show, Celanese presented both a broad portfolio of emulsion technologies to meet a wide range of performance potential and specific technologies that respond to the hottest trends with consumers. Chief among these was Celanese’s vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) technology for low VOC, low odor eco-friendly coatings. The company has one of the industry’s broadest and most successful portfolios of polymers for eco-friendly paints. Celanese also highlighted its breakthrough technology for paper packaging adhesives, Mowilith® LDM 1081, designed to bond to difficult substrates such as UV lacquered boards and OPP folder foils

A foundation for innovation

According to Angela Cackovich, European marketing manager, emulsion polymer chemistry has the greatest potential to deliver true innovation in both the coatings and adhesives industry. “Emulsions are at the foundation of coatings and adhesives formulations, and if real innovation is sought, then the chemist needs to start there,” she said. “During the product development process today at Celanese, we consider the needs of formulators and manufacturers, of course. But we also look into the requirements of the people using their products, and of consumers who have to use and live with our technology in its final form, be it paint on the wall or adhesives in furniture. We at Celanese create a technology that meets the needs of each of these groups throughout the value chain,” she said.

Cackovich pointed to the work Celanese has done in the area of dispersions for the development of low VOC, low odor eco-friendly coatings. Celanese pioneered the eco-friendly interior decorative coatings segment more than a decade ago. Today, it boasts a wide range of emulsions to help customers meet the growing demand of this burgeoning segment. “Environmentally-friendly paints started as a niche area years ago and has since grown into its own market segment as the global population has begun to demand “greener” products,” said Cackovich. “We have seen consumer demand explode globally in the past few years,” she said. Other factors, including green labeling programs such as Blue Angel in Germany and Green Seal in the United States, as well as increasingly stringent VOC regulations, are playing a major role in the rapid expansion of the eco-friendly sector in coatings.

At ECS, Celanese Emulsion Polymers showcased its vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) emulsions for “people-friendly” paints. “Mowilith LDM 1871 is the gold standard for matt, interior decorative paints and now Mowilith LDM 1852 is the new standard for satin to semi-gloss coatings,” said Stephan Krieger, senior technical service manager for the coatings segment. “These VAE emulsions allow the chemist to formulate a coating without the use of coalescing agents that can add both VOCs and additional cost to their products,” he said. “Celanese VAE technology meets the needs of every part of the coatings value chain, from the formulator and manufacturer, who create the product, to the marketer who wants to meet the latest marketing trends. It also focuses on the needs of the painter, who wants ease of application and high quality performance. Finally, it addresses the desires of the ultimate consumer, the homeowner, who can ’relax’ and live surrounded by these coatings for years,” he said.

In the technical arena, Celanese’s Dr. Kerstin Gohr, senior research and development chemist, presented a technical paper at the European Coatings Congress outlining the higher performance of VAE emulsions versus styrene acrylic emulsions in the areas of opacity and wet scrub resistance. Dr. Gohr’s research shows that the higher opacity of the VAE polymer is independent of the titanium dioxide type, content or the filler mix. In addition, her data shows that a less desirable grade of TiO2 can be compensated for with VAE emulsions.

For the adhesives segment, Celanese focused on Mowilith LDM 1081 for paper packaging and converting adhesives. Mowilith LDM 1081 is designed to bond to difficult substrates such as UV lacquered boards and OPP folder foils and be utilized across the entire range of application methods. With extremely low dirt formation, aiding long machine time before failure (MBTF) and tailing, which helps to support high machine speed, it is especially favorable for use with spray nozzle applications. It also allows for its use in sterilizable adhesives due to excellent heat resistance. Finally, the viscosity profile of Mowilith LDM 1081 provides excellent cost-in-use benefits.

Meeting the needs of the global customer

Celanese Emulsion Polymers is an active participant in coatings and adhesives markets in all three major regions of the world, with a commitment to growth in all areas. “In late 2007, Celanese officially dedicated its newest emulsions manufacturing plant in Nanjing, China, and our Asian organization has grown to include multiple sites within China as well as offices in Thailand and India,” said Phil McDivitt, general manager,. “In addition, our North American paints and coatings business has reached a new level over the past year with our investments in our technical and marketing staffs and introduction of EcoVAE™ emulsions,” he said. Celanese Emulsion Polymers is also increasing its European base through expansion into Russia, North Africa and the Middle East. “The European Coatings Show is an ideal venue to meet our global coatings and adhesives customers. We look forward to welcoming both our oldest business partners and newest customers to our stand and explaining how Celanese Emulsion Polymers can help them meet their needs throughout the entire value chain,” McDivitt said.