Arkema preps for powder coating resins lab opening in Cary, North Carolina late 2022

Arkema Inc. (King of Prussia, Pa., U.S.) has announced a significant investment in the construction of a new powder coating resins lab in Cary, N.C., U.S., the company’s headquarters for coating resins. The facility is expected to begin operations by the end of Q3 2022.

“The new lab in Cary will expand our ability to work closely with customers in the high-growth powder coatings segment,” saya Amber Goodyear, global market manager, powder resins, at Arkema. “Arkema continues to strategically invest in low-VOC [volatile organic compounds] powder technology as part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, recyclability and innovation. Our new state-of-the-art lab, in collaboration with our other powder labs worldwide, will help to accelerate Arkema’s ability to develop innovative solutions for the market that are on the leading edge of sustainability and performance.”

Operations at the new lab will focus on formulation and application/testing support for Arkema’s Reafree resins, including those made with polyester resins, hybrid systems, polyurethane (PU) resins, ultraviolet-curable products, various additives and more. Additionally, it will reportedly give researchers more immediate hands-on access to the Arkema test fence facility at the Cary, N.C., headquarters location, offering years of realistic exposure data across a range of resins and substrates.

Arkema supplies powder coating formulators with Reafree polyester resins and other products worldwide and operates additional labs at its facilities in North Kansas City, Mo., U.S.; Sant Celoni, Spain; and Navi Mumbai, India.

“In the past ten years, we have seen a significant increase in demand for powder coating resins that offer a higher level of performance while using less energy to cure and fewer VOCs,” adds Dr. Chris Miller, senior global research director at Arkema. “Our global network of labs dedicated to these technologies allow us to continually look to the future and develop new, innovative solutions for low-temperature cure formulations, superdurables and more emergent technologies that can help companies throughout the value chain improve their global performance and sustainability efforts.”