PPG has earned two 2008 R&D 100 Awards for its Green Logic paint detackifier and Zircobond pretreatment technology. The awards, bestowed annually by R&D Magazine, recognize the 100 most technologically significant innovations each year.

“We are extremely honored to have two of our green technologies recognized in the R&D 100 Awards program,” said Dennis Kovalsky, PPG vice president, automotive coatings. “This underscores the importance and commitment PPG places on innovation and forward thinking. We are dedicated to providing customers with inventive products that help save time and reduce cost while being environmentally responsible.”

Green Logic paint detackifier is used by North American, European and Japanese automakers to denature and remove over-sprayed paint from the water wash system in automotive paint spray booths. The patented formula, which incorporates chitosan derived from crab, lobster and shrimp shells, provides an environmentally responsible alternative to detackifiers derived from non-renewable, petroleum-based raw materials or chemistries containing residual-free formaldehyde. Green Logic detackifier helps automakers realize performance gains in paint detackification and overall spray booth operations, while offering greater ease of operation and savings from reduced maintenance, chemical and wastewater treatment, and waste disposal costs.

Zircobond pretreatment offers environmental and cost advantages over traditional zinc-phosphate pretreatments without sacrificing product performance. Compared with traditional products, Zircobond pretreatment reduces energy consumption, reduces overall water consumption, decreases sludge byproduct from the pretreatment process and is formulated without zinc, nickel or manganese, thereby reducing wastewater treatment costs.

CAMI, an independently incorporated joint venture of Suzuki Motor Corporation and General Motors of Canada Ltd. located in Ingersoll, Ont., Canada, began processing vehicles with Zircobond pretreatment in early January and moved to full-scale production by mid-January.

According to GM global process pretreatment lead Kevin Cunningham, “PPG has developed an innovative pretreatment coating material that offers advantages including energy savings, water conservation and a smaller footprint. GM is aggressively pursuing global implementation opportunities, and we are pleased with PPG’s development of the new Zircobond pretreatment technology.”

In May 2008, Ford Motor Company began using Zircobond pretreatment by PPG at its Saint Thomas Assembly Plant as a sustainable pretreatment coating system. Mike Vandelinder, chief engineer for global paint engineering at Ford, cited this material as a significant element of Ford’s push toward using environmentally friendly technologies. He highlighted the advantages of this technology as water conservation, elimination of sludge, energy reduction and the elimination of two bio-accumulating heavy metals. The technology also delivers a lean process by reducing the number of stages in the typical pretreatment process from 13 to 8. With this new pretreatment technology, Vandelinder said Ford continues its push to drive environmental solutions for manufacturing processes.