ECS 2023: Eckart shows sustainable product innovations
At the European Coatings Show (ECS) 2023 in Nuremberg, Eckart will showcase a portfolio of innovations that help reduce its carbon footprint. This will make the company a leader in the field of sustainable pigments.
Among Eckart's innovations at ECM in Hall 3A, Booth 132, are effect pigments based on recycled aluminum: The new AL-II pigments are made exclusively from recycled aluminum. Since Eckart's production uses only renewable energy, these novel aluminum pigments have the world's lowest carbon footprint, according to the company. At the same time, they are in no way inferior to traditional products in terms of brilliance and functionality. Depending on the coating system, there are different types of AL-II pigments. For industrial and automotive coatings, three products have been developed within the Stapa Metallux portfolio and three based on the Stapa IL Hydrolan family. The three pigments based on the standard PCU portfolio are designed for powder coatings. Can aluminum and pearlescent pigments be used in compostable products? Five pastes and powders from Eckart are certified accordingly. Furthermore, the company will show trend colors for 2024 and new special effect pigments for autonomous driving: Symic A604 and SymicC OEM Superfine Opaque Silver provide a silver-gray finish with excellent opacity thanks to their superfine particle size. The two new pigments complement Eckart's product portfolio for autonomous vehicles, which is characterized by the combination of two effect pigment worlds - the glossy metallic look on the one hand, and the functional properties and low radar attenuation of pearlescent pigments on the other.
The Symic PCE, Stay/Steel and Standart PCBF products for powder coatings are perfectly suited for producing RAL Classic and DB color shades. The pearlescent and metallic powders offer a cost-effective alternative for formulations and are explicitly designed for powder coatings. They are easy to process, usually without additional bonding. Corrosion protection for structures made of different metals presents several challenges, as pure zinc, traditionally used for corrosion protection, is not a suitable material. Stapa 15 ZnMg26, a new proprietary alloy, offers an innovative solution. Based on zinc and magnesium, the alloy enables an electrochemical potential close to that of magnesium and offers perfect conditions for sacrificial corrosion protection for structures made of steel and aluminum, such as trailers.