Maersk Container Industry’s factory in Dongguan has begun full production of dry containers coated with Valspar Aquaguard, a zinc-free waterborne coating solution that provides industry-leading protection against corrosion. Maersk and Valspar began trial production in 2014 at this facility in southern China, one of the largest container manufacturing locations in the world with production of 220,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) dry containers annually.

“Maersk is a global leader in container-industry sustainability, and converting to Valspar Aquaguard is another important step in its long-term sustainability goals,” said Paul McCrory, director of Global Container at Valspar. “Aquaguard provides Maersk the protective and environmental benefits of our superior waterborne technology while allowing the company to maintain production speed, high quality and cost effectiveness.”

Valspar has partnered with Maersk and other customers to implement waterborne solutions to meet global environmental requirements. Aquaguard is an innovative two-coat, 100 percent waterborne coating system that reduces VOCs by up to 94 percent, improves corrosion performance, and lowers emissions to reduce the overall environmental footprint. The combination of Aquaguard’s high-density chemical adhesion and anticorrosive properties provides superior corrosion protection compared to other standard solvent systems.

Aquaguard significantly outperforms standard solvent-based coatings in corrosion performance. On containers coated with Aquaguard, the onset of corrosion from container damage is reduced at least 60% compared to zinc-based coatings (based on 710-hour salt spray test results). This enables containers to stay in service longer with fewer repairs while also helping shipping lines with sustainability efforts.

With more than 60 years of experience with high-quality waterborne coatings, Valspar is a pioneer in developing waterborne technology. Its cost-competitive solutions help companies meet air-quality goals across industries that demand rugged performance, including transportation, agricultural and construction equipment, structural steel and wood.