Axalta Coating Systems has introduced a new generation of waterborne tints for automotive market in China, aimed at offering carmakers and body shops a more sustainable way to meet consumer preference for stronger, brighter, more vivid colors.

The first to feature a high chroma red, the new waterborne tints represent a breakthrough in aesthetics and sustainability, designed to provide the auto industry with a way to create stunning colors with environmentally responsible waterborne coatings.

As a leader in the global coatings market, Axalta’s high chroma color technology has been applied in solventborne products for automotive market for many years. However, creating waterborne tints, a new generation of color technology that seem to dance and come alive, especially in harsh natural sunlight, is no simple task. The key to the vibrancy of these new waterborne brilliant reds is a unique technology developed by Axalta’s color scientists. Using a high-energy milling process, Axalta breaks the red pigment down into tiny micro-particles that are dispersed in the waterborne basecoat or top coat layers to achieve the ultimate combination of transparency, sparkle and fiery brilliance.

“Axalta’s new waterborne high chroma reds are brighter, bolder and environmentally responsible at the same time. I am confident that Chinese OEM facilities and body shops and, importantly, China’s consumers, are ready to embrace our dynamic and energetic new waterborne tints for their automobiles, and in turn contribute to a brighter and more sustainable future,” said Jay Kaiser, Product and Technology Director, Asia Pacific at Axalta.

To help customers achieve an accurate color match, Axalta has also created advanced color tools, such as the Acquire™ Plus EFX colorimeter. This digital color-matching tool for auto body shops and refinishers is the perfect companion to Axalta’s leading waterborne refinish product brands, Spies Hecker® Permahyd® Hi-TEC and Cromax® Pro.

Axalta companies have been doing business in China since 1984. This wealth of institutional knowledge has helped Axalta maintain its leadership role for developing cutting edge coating products. In addition to the recently-opened Jiading waterborne coatings facility, Axalta operates an adjacent plant in Jiading and a plant in Changchun, six powder coating operations in collaboration with a joint venture partner, four refinish training centers and, in Shanghai, a Global Color Lab and Asia Pacific Innovation Center to support R&D and its Asia Pacific regional and China headquarters. Axalta’s multiple resources in China work together to support the sustained, long-term growth of China’s automotive, commercial vehicle and industrial sectors that use Axalta coatings.