EDITORIAL
How can surface and finishing treatments contribute to sustainability? Actually, in two ways. On the one hand, with the development of more sustainable and safe technologies and products than in the past. On the other one, with new functions that can help sustain the creation of products, structures and infrastructure elements with less impact on the environment, and therefore able to ensure the sustainable development of society and consumption. For many decades, the surface treatment field has faced the challenge of reducing the environmental impact and the dangerousness of the technologies and chemicals used in the various processes. A few examples are as follows: the ban on triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGCI), a crosslinking agent used in powder coatings since the ‘70s; the replacement of high VOC-content liquid coatings with water-based products; the ban on Cr (VI) from pre-treatment products; and the implementation of ATEX regulations in electrostatic applications and of REACH regulations to protect the health and safety of humans and the environment from chemical risks. Research studies and innovations have followed one another more and more rapidly in the last ten years. This has led to the development of highly sophisticated products and technologies, which now enable to perform finishing operations more ecologically and safely than in the past: reduced or zero VOC emissions, improved energy efficiency, use of renewable resources, coating and pre-treatment nanotechnology, and much more. What about the products manufactured with these technologies? The main contribution of finishing processes to sustainability is their ability to give specific functions to surfaces and to extend the useful life of buildings, products, vehicles, as well as extending their maintenance and replacement intervals. Let us think about the heat reflection property that can be given to buildings by using special coatings: it reduces their internal temperature in very sunny climates, enabling to save more energy. Finishes thus become a strategic factor for green building projects. Let us think about the possibility to replace steel with suitably treated and coated aluminium alloys, with the same resistance and durability performance but a significantly lower weight, thus ensuring energy saving. The lightweighting trend would not be possible without the right finishes. Finally, let us think about the lengthening of the service life of a product. It is true that there are no eternal materials, but, thanks to increasingly corrosion-resistant treatments and maintenance-free coatings, the first restoration intervention is to be performed only by the generation next to the one that built a structure.
Alessia Venturi Editor-in-chief Direttore Responsabile
Finishing is not only a matter of colour: in this issue of ipcmÂŽ, with a special focus on aluminium & design, the technical articles, news and case studies presented offer an interesting overview of the possibilities ensured by surface treatments to work in a sustainable way and to create sustainability. Finally, finishing is also artisanship, especially in the field of product design, be it a piece of furniture, a bike or a motorcycle: in these pages, you will find the story of a company that turned the artisanal quality level of its coating process into a springboard to attract international customers.
international PAINT&COATING magazine - SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 - N. 47
05