Growth Stories

Harnessing wind power

Wind turbines have become a powerful 21st century symbol of the modern day environmental consciousness.

Wind energy is renewable, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions when it displaces fossil-fuel-derived electricity. Wind turbines currently generate around just 1 per cent of global electricity, but this is growing rapidly and their use has expanded to more than 70 countries worldwide since 1979.

Wind turbine farms are typically exposed and subject to harsh environmental conditions such as wind erosion, sunlight, abrasion and corrosion attack. The turbine support structures are generally made of steel, while the blades comprise epoxy and other composite materials. They have multiple coatings applied to them, which comprise zinc-rich organic primers, epoxy intermediate coats and aliphatic polyurethane topcoats to provide long-term protection.

Nuplex customers supplying coating systems for use on wind turbines use high performance Setalux® and G-Cure® acrylic polyols for manufacturing the polyurethane topcoats. These products have a proven history of exterior performance for industrial and automotive applications which is well recognised in the global coatings industry.

Competitive cycling – beauty and performance

Orbea, one of Spain’s leading bike manufacturers, is committed to racing and uses the latest technologies to give its riders a competitive edge. The company also demands the very best for its beautiful paint finishes.

Nuplex Resins provides Orbea’s paint supplier, Bernardo Ecenarro, with high performance waterborne resins to form the basis of a complete paint system that has unique high gloss, flexibility, chemical and stone chip resistant properties.

First they apply a flexible waterborne primer surfacer, based on Nuplex’s urethane modified polyester resin. After a “flash-off period”, a waterborne basecoat is applied, based on one of Nuplex’s acrylic copolymers. This is force-dried at 100 ºC before applying a powder clear-coat. The total paint system is then cured at high temperatures.

The paint system used is specific to the various construction materials. In the case of carbon fibre bicycle frames, a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) compliant clear-coat using acrylic polyols is then applied, rendering extremely good chemical resistance and durability outdoors.

All in all, just the job to maintain a showroom finish through gruelling road and off-road racing conditions.

Wood furniture coatings

Legislative constraints such as the Clean Air Acts in the US, UK and new European solvent directives are spearheading technical change in wood and furniture coatings, with a general trend towards higher solids, radiation cure and water-based technology.

Based on differences in legislation and economic conditions, furniture production is shifting from one continent to another and from region to region, for example from Western Europe to Eastern Europe and from the US to Asia.

A well-known multinational furniture designer and retailer from Sweden is bringing worldwide dimensions to the furniture market. The retailer coats much of its furniture in Eastern Europe and the Far East and, fostering a strong “green” image, is determined to be solvent-free from 1 September, 2009. Pursuant to this, the company now requires all its suppliers to meet strict compliance standards.

Nuplex Resins is working with the main coating producers in Germany and Sweden to find solutions to this demand. Very recently they obtained regulatory approval for Nuplex Resin based waterborne furniture coatings, meeting the strict specifications insisted on by leading players in the Scandinavian furniture industry.

Crossing the ditch

“Petrified.” That’s how Justin Jones described how both he and James Castrission felt on many occasion as the two young men paddled their kayak across an angry Tasman Sea, from Australia to New Zealand. Fifty knot head winds created mountainous seas that pounded them day and night. Massive sharks toyed with their minds, bumping against the side of their vessel.

But by the time they landed at New Plymouth on the west coast of New Zealand on 13 January 2008, Jones and Castrission had become the first kayakers ever to take the Tasman.

There were times when they seriously wondered whether the fibreglass vessel would disintegrate. But then again the kayak was made entirely of Nuplex business FGI’s composite materials and the result of world-class FGI composites expertise and technical support.

James and Justin sum it up. “When we first dreamed of kayaking from Australia to New Zealand most people believed it impossible. FGI didn’t. Without their support we would have not had the bulletproof kayak that made it across,” they said.