(Arkema) -- Launched in 2005 by Union des Industries Chimiques (UIC - French Chemical Industries Association) and Federation Francaise des sciences pour la Chimie (FFC - French Federation for Chemical Sciences) under the aegis of the French Ministry for Industry, the Pierre Potier prize rewards companies that bring out innovations in the field of sustainable development. This year, Arkema has won top prize with Kynar Aquatec, a resin available for the first time as an aqueous formulation for the manufacture of roofs that reflect sunlight, therefore help reduce air-conditioning costs and achieve major energy savings.
The objective of the research teams was to develop a technology to apply coatings by spraying directly onto existing buildings. The Kynar Aquatec innovation consists in developing a latex paint as an aqueous emulsion, capable of forming a film at ambient temperature through a new process combining polymerization and acrylic polymerization. This innovation features the ease of application of a solvent-free aqueous paint, combined with the outstanding durability and reflectivity of Kynar coatings. Being able to apply a paint like a traditional acrylic paint (i.e. without any heat treatment) therefore helps extend the use of the Kynar coating to the construction or renovation of all types of buildings, whatever the shape and nature of roof and siding: metal, cement, asphalt sheeting or even wood.