Sun Chemical has opened a new coatings lab in its Carlstadt, New Jersey, research and development facility. The lab is the fourth of its kind worldwide, joining similar laboratories located in the United Kingdom and DIC R&D centres in Japan.
The 11,000-square-foot investment by Sun Chemical holds what the company describes as state-of-the-art equipment and analytical support for studying migration, adhesion, permeability, and other performance-related coating phenomena.
The lab will use systems like SEM microscopy, atomic force microscopy, IR surface mapping, and surface energy measurement, among other techniques, to advance the fundamental understanding of key coatings performance attributes.
A variety of equipment has been added to the new lab, including: gas transmission rate analyzers, glass bottle testing instrumentation, and coatings spraying equipment to develop new and improved water, solvent, and energy curable primers, inks, and coatings. A lab laminator will be added in 2017 to help study the interaction between ink, substrate, primers, overprint varnishes and laminating adhesives.
“The new Carlstadt coatings lab represents a major investment in our coatings business,” said Russell Schwartz, Chief Technology Officer, Sun Chemical. “This enhanced capability will help us expand our product range offerings into an evolving packaging market that includes laminating adhesives, glass decoration, and printed electronics.
“The integration of coatings technology with ink, polymer, and functional materials development within the same technical organization and facility transcends product lines and geographical barriers,” continued Schwartz. “It will also help expand Sun Chemical’s Advanced Materials portfolio into industrial coatings applications.”
Sun Chemical holds the capability to develop and test water, solvent, and energy curable coatings, including primers, overprints and materials in order to provide enhanced functionality, such as barrier properties. “While many companies rely on commercially available polymers, Sun Chemical differentiates itself by developing proprietary polymers targeted for our specific industry and products,” said Bob O’Boyle, Product Manager, Coatings, Sun Chemical. “We’re also focusing on smart coatings for sensor-enabled application equipment.”
Print this page
