Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/665686
8 POWDER COATING, April 2016 AgGateway launches specialty chemical council WASHINGTON, D.C.—AgGateway members have created a new council to address electronic connectivity issues re- lated to the specialty chemical business. Segments covered by the council will in- clude professional vegetation manage- ment, pest control services, and turf and ornamental, as well as subset segments such as aquatics and forestry. The coun- cil will address "pain points" related to the exchange of business data within these segments, and will collaborate with industry partners to implement stan- dards and guidelines that provide timely, accurate, and standardized data. The council will determine best prac- tices and set standards for efficient data exchange in a way that meets the unique characteristics of the specialty chemical business. Electronic standardization and coding on products will enhance the accuracy and timing of billing and payments to distributors while also re- ducing complexity within the industry. Employee skims money from paint contractor WASHINGTON, D.C.—A former bookkeeper for an industrial painting contractor has pleaded guilty to charges that he stole more than $200,000 from his employer while working there. Robert Coppola Jr. of Buffalo, N.Y., pled guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, according to a statement from the Erie County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said that Coppola formerly worked for PCI International Inc., Tonawanda, N.Y., a company with more than 60 years of combined experi- ence in surface preparation and coating application to industrial and commer- cial facilities. Between September 2013 and July 2015, Coppola allegedly forged checks and made unauthorized bank transfers to himself from the in- dustrial painting contractor's accounts. In total, the district attorney's office said Coppola stole $204,154.11. Coppola pled guilty to the highest charge for which he could have been convicted if the case had gone to trial. He was not offered a deal in exchange for his guilty plea. Although he faced a sentence of 5 to 15 years in state prison, State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller sen- tenced him to 5 years of probation. Cardolite develops new cashew-based coating NEWARK, N.J.—Cardolite Corp., a developer and manufacturer of products using natural and renewable cashew nutshell liquid technology (CNSL), has introduced an epoxy curing agent that will give customers a cost-effective up- grade from common medium- and high-viscosity, solvent-free polyamides. Lite 3025 builds on the CNSL curing technology developed previously for the company's Lite 3000 series agents. Its applications for industrial use include windmills, platforms, and ships. According to Cardolite, CNSL curing agents with phenalkamine are used in the heavy-duty coatings market because of their corrosion protection qualities, me- chanical strength, and fast cure rate, even at low temperatures. The CNSL tech- nology, modified with phenalkamide, offers the same protection but improves on similar product drawbacks such as color, overcoat window, and flexibility that have prevented a wider application. New specialty coatings company formed ANDOVER, Mass.—Two companies have combined to form a new specialty chemical company that will be based in the US. Chemical Products Group (ICP Group) will formulate, manufacture, and market coatings and adhesives to in- dustrial and construction markets. The company is a combination of California Products Corp. and Nicoat. Doug Mattscheck, the former CEO of Quest Specialty Chemicals, was appointed president and CEO of ICP Group. The new company will serve the architec- tural, specialty construction, packaging, printing, and spot surfaces end markets. Conferences May Custom Coater Forum: May 2-3. Treasure Island Hotel, Las Vegas, Nev. Sponsored by the Powder Coating In- UPDATE:Events Scientists who made the discovery re- cently published their findings in the journal Angewandte Chemie. Their paper, "Covalently Attached Liquids: Instant Omniphobic Surfaces with Un- precedented Repellency," describes the process for the production of SOCAL (slippery, omniphobic, covalently at- tached liquid) surfaces. Glass slides using this method can be coated in minutes by dipping them in the solution, letting them dry, and then rinsing them. The solution contains a siloxane monomer and sulfuric acid in isopropanol. When an object is dipped into the liquid, a thin film of liquid forms on the surface and creates a polymer as it dries. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chains form and are anchored to the sur- face as it is catalyzed by the sulfuric acid. The coating is homogenous. Aqueous and organic liquids reportedly roll off of coated slides without leaving a trace, even at a minimal angle of inclination. The PDMS chains can move around as though they were in a liquid. The coatings are thermally stable and show omniphobic properties even after a year in storage. Paint booth noise and dust leads to fine WASHINGTON, D.C.—A Mont- gomery, Ill., metal fabricating plant was investigated on claims that it exposed em- ployees to unsafe levels of metallic dusts, vapors, and noise when manually powder coating metal products in two of the company's paint booths. After receiving a complaint of unsafe working conditions, OSHA inspectors allegedly discovered that employees at Lyon LLC were overex- posed to noise and dust hazards in those paint booths, leading to a $76,000 fine. The agency cited the company with 15 serious violations, including some that had several subcomponents that added up to 26 separate issues. The company, which was cited for operations at its metal fabricating shop in Watseka, Ill., said it disagreed with the federal agency's conclusions and planned to meet with OSHA officials to discuss the violations. The company says it takes its workers' health and safety seriously and hopes to reach an amicable resolution.