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ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • MARCH 2014 11
SURFACE ENGINEERING
news
industry
briefs
Axalta Coating Systems,
Philadelphia, announced the
publication of its annual
automotive color popularity report
for 2013. This year’s report
includes Say it with Color!, Axalta’s
forecast of four color megatrends
for automotive designers around
the world. White strengthened its
position as the most popular
automotive color among
consumers worldwide in 2013,
growing in popularity by 6% over
the prior year. Black was the
second most popular color
globally, with 20% of sales, but
“effect black” was preferred more
than “solid black.” Silver at 15%
and gray at 12% waned in
popularity, while red held
steady at 8%.
.
The aerospace coatings group of
PPG Industries, Sylmar, Calif.,
qualified Aerocron electrocoat
primer to SAE International’s
Aerospace Material Specification
3144 for anodic electrode position
primer for aircraft applications.
This qualification provides
airframe manufacturers and
subcontractors with third-party
verification of its performance
characteristics and attributes,
according to company
representatives. Four variations of
the PPG chromate-free primer
were qualified to AMS 3144 in
order to meet specific customer or
regional requirements.
.
See-through screen could be applied on ordinary glass
Researchers at Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, came up with a new
approach for transparent dis-
plays that offers significant ad-
vantages over existing systems.
Nanoparticles are embedded
into the transparent material.
They can be tuned to scatter
only certain wavelengths, col-
ors, or light, while letting the
rest pass through.
To demonstrate the system,
a blue image was projected in
front of a scene containing cups
of several colors, all of which can
clearly be seen through the pro-
jected image. While the demonstration used silver nanoparticles, roughly 60 nm
across, which produce a blue image, researchers say it should be possible to create
full-color display images using the same technique. Three colors (red, green, and blue)
are enough to produce what we perceive as full-color, and each of the three colors
would still show only a very narrow spectral band, allowing all other hues to pass
through freely. For more information: Marin Soljačić, 617/253-2467, ,
Fast ASTM test standard for transportation coatings
A collaborative 14-year effort involving BASF, Germany, automotive and aerospace
OEMs, material suppliers, and test equipment manufacturers resulted in a new ASTM
test standard for transportation coatings. The new method is 30-40% faster than the
previous test standard, and improves the accuracy to nearly 100% in predicting coat-
ing service life compared to less than 50% before. Officially named ASTM D7869-13
Standard Practice for Xenon Arc Exposure Test with Enhanced Light and Water Expo-
sure for Transportation Coatings, the new test simulates physical and environmental
stresses that an exterior transportation coating is exposed to in a subtropical climate.
These stresses include long water exposures, wet/dry cycling, and high dosages of solar
radiation, all of which have been shown to cause severe coating deterioration.
.
Flying with environmentally-friendly coatings
The European Union ECOPROT project aims to industrialize an innova-
tive procedure for producing corrosion-protecting, environmentally friendly
coatings for aluminum and magnesium alloys, to be used in the aeronautics
market. Unlike other commercial solutions trying to penetrate the market,
this coating reportedly provides a corrosion performance comparable to that
of the toxic chromates, meeting the rigorous standards of the aeronautics in-
dustry. The slightly higher price of the product compared to current coatings
is offset by its greener environmental impact, say researchers.
The new process was granted a patent and developed through an FP6 proj-
ect called Multiprotect. While the coating has huge potential in the aeronau-
tic market, scaling up production and achieving market penetration has been
difficult. The aim of ECOPROT is to industrialize the procedure and raise in-
dustry awareness of this glasslike, environmentally friendly, and self-healing
cerium-based coating. .
Carboline Co., University Heights, Ohio, released Car-
botherm 551, an advanced insulative coating. The
water-based epoxy coating has multiple uses, from pro-
tecting workers from burns on hot surfaces to thermal
insulation. It dramatically reduces the effects of solar
radiation on operating vessels and storage tanks and
reduces heat buildup, which can otherwise result in
evaporative emissions from storage tanks containing
hydrocarbon or other cargo. The coating can provide up
to 60% energy efficiency when applied at only 4-6 mm.
In a single coat, it can protect against heat caused by
solar radiation for pressure vessels, hydrocarbon stor-
age tanks, liquefied petroleum tanks, and other contain-
ers. .