Luca Amadeo, Chiara Mantovani – SAFIC ALCAN ITALIA
Bruce Lin, Eric Cai – WANHUA CHEMICAL
Wood, a material deeply intertwined with human history for thousands of years and today perhaps more relevant than ever.
Wood conveys safety and naturalness, perfectly blending traditional and modern architectural elements. The use of wood in exterior buildings is widespread throughout the world, where it is appreciated for both structural and aesthetic reasons. Wood is a renewable resource, about 90% of its consumption in Europe comes from the forests of the old continent. However, wood also places the highest demands in terms of processing and finishing. It is a living material and can easily be influenced by the environment: water, humidity, thermal stability and UV rays are just some of the main challenges for manufacturers of wooden articles.
Coatings are used to improve the properties of the wood substrate, reduce the effects of degradation factors and extend the life of the material. Outdoor coatings generally protect against moisture absorption and related dimensional changes, photochemical degradation and microbiological degradation. With the global increase in environmental awareness and the introduction of increasingly stringent regulations, water-based coatings are finding more and more space in the market.
Thanks to their outdoor performance and chemical resistance, acrylic emulsions are the first choice for formulating wood coatings. Water-based products are now consolidated thanks to the numerous advantages they offer: reduction of solvent emissions into the atmosphere, fast drying, elasticity, resistance to water and atmospheric agents.
Lacper® range by Wanhua includes acrylic, styrene-acrylic and polyurethane emulsions for wood. Thanks to the optimized resin design and precise manufacturing process, the molecular structure, particle size and morphology of the emulsion are optimized to give the final product excellent performance:
– to meet the most stringent environmental standards in Europe, these products can be formulated with low VOC content, which significantly reduces emissions;
– fast drying technology is usually combined with antiblocking properties; this improves painting efficiency and reduces the impact of energy consumption;
– dispersion is uniform and stable, thus improving coating properties and gloss; this technology not only improves the beauty of the product, but also gives the binder a very transparent appearance;
– after passing rigorous weather resistance tests, these products show exceptional durability; even after prolonged exposure to sunlight, rain, wind and other natural elements, the paint retains its color and gloss, without showing signs of fading, flaking or cracking;
– Lacper® products have excellent adhesion and can be firmly combined with various substrates (such as wood, metal, plastic) to form a strong protective layer; in high temperature, low temperature, humid or dry environments, the paint maintains excellent adhesion;
– the products have good stain resistance and limit the adhesion of dust and dirt; they are therefore easy to clean and maintain;
– the film has excellent flexibility and good elasticity; this is essential to be stable to the mechanical stresses of the wood related to temperature fluctuations.
Within this range, two products are particularly suitable in combination for the formulation of outdoor wood coatings:
– Lacper® 4572: self-crosslinking acrylic copolymer emulsion with excellent outdoor durability, water and alkali resistance, good wet film transparency and excellent antiblocking performance; does not contain organic solvents, plasticizers or APE; the very low MFFT allows the use of little coalescent; approved according to KOMO tests.
– Lacper® 4571: self-crosslinking acrylic copolymer emulsion with excellent water resistance, outdoor durability, good penetration, high flexibility and low water permeability values; APEO-free and low need for coalescent.
Wanhua Chemical is active in the research and development, production and sales of a full range of polyurethane products such as isocyanates and polyols, petrochemicals such as acrylic acid and acrylates, functional materials such as water-based resins and specialty chemicals. In 2023, revenues reached 175.3 billion and there were over 27.000 employees. Branches are located in 27 countries, with 10 production sites and 14 laboratories.
Wanhua Chemical Surface Materials BU (SMBU) is based on upstream integration in the polyurethane and acrylic production chain, with continuously expanding plants respecting the environment and sustainability. The main research and development platforms include the following all-water-based solutions: polyurethanes (PUD and PUA), polyacrylics, UV resins, epoxy resins, rheological additives, silicones and super absorbent resins (SAP).
Safic Alcan Italia is the official Wanhua distributor in Italy for MDI, TDI, prepolymers, polyols, isocyanates derivatives, hydrophilic isocyanates and water-based resins for industrial coating.
Safic Alcan is a French distributor of specialty chemicals based in Paris. The company develops and supplies a wide range of polymers, materials and additives for rubber, coatings, adhesives, thermoplastics, polyurethanes, lubricants, detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals industries. With a network of 37 locations strategically located across Europe, the Middle East, North America, South America, Asia and South Africa, the company represents cutting-edge manufacturers around the world. Its highly specialized sales engineers enable Safic-Alcan to provide dedicated technical expertise and high-performance solutions, thus creating long-term partnerships with the majority of specifiers and customers. Safic-Alcan employs over 800 people worldwide and generated revenues of 910 million Euros in 2023.
