Sun Chemical opens new coatings lab in New Jersey

The 11,000 sq ft investment features state-of-the-art equipment and analytical support for studying migration, adhesion, permeability and other performance-related coating phenomena. SEM microscopy, atomic force microscopy, IR surface mapping, sophisticated surface energy measurement and many other techniques are used extensively to advance the fundamental understanding of key coatings performance attributes.

A variety of equipment has been added to the new lab, including gas transmission rate analyzers, glass bottle testing instrumentation and coatings spraying equipment, used to develop new and improved water, solvent and energy curable primers, inks, and coatings. A lab laminator will be added in 2017 to help study the interaction between ink, substrate, primers, overprint varnishes and laminating adhesives.

The lab is the fourth of its kind worldwide, joining similar facilities in the UK and parent company DIC's R&D centers in Japan.

‘The new Carlstadt coatings lab represents a major investment in our coatings business,’ said Russell Schwartz, chief technology officer at Sun Chemical. ‘This enhanced capability will help us expand our product range offerings into an evolving packaging market that includes laminating adhesives, glass decoration, and printed electronics. The integration of coatings technology with ink, polymer, and functional materials development within the same technical organization and facility transcends product lines and geographical barriers. It will also help expand Sun Chemical’s Advanced Materials portfolio into industrial coatings applications.’

Bob O’Boyle, coatings product manager at Sun Chemical, added: ‘We’re excited about additional solutions we’ll be able to bring to the marketplace because of the new lab. We’re developing new coating polymers. While many companies rely on commercially available polymers, Sun Chemical differentiates itself by developing proprietary polymers targeted for our specific industry and products. We’re also focusing on smart coatings for sensor-enabled application equipment.’