Striking red: market launch of Xirallic® NXT Cougar Red and first impressions of Meoxal® Victoria Red; Non-ionic fluorosurfactant for the perfect coating: Tivida® FL 3000; Iriotec® 7340: conductivity for even lighter-colored paints, coatings, and primers; Ideas for the car of tomorrow: the Global Mobility Color Inspirations tool and the Merck Innovative Concept Car
Merck, a leading science and technology company, presented novel products and innovative concepts for the paint and coatings industry at the European Coatings Show 2017. From April 4 to 6, industry experts were introduced to many samples and demo tools at Merck's impressively designed exhibition stand in Nuremberg, Germany.
Multimedia displays were also used to show the potential and possibilities of the innovations from Merck. Underscoring the "Bold & Vibrant" theme, a Rolls-Royce and a Harley-Davidson featuring Merck premium effect pigments attracted attention.
Fascinating red
The fascination with red is unwavering: Two new pigments from Merck make innovative red effects possible – Xirallic® NXT Cougar Red and Meoxal® Victoria Red.
Merck launched Xirallic® NXT Cougar Red at the European Coatings Show. It is the fourth product in the Xirallic® NXT series, modeled on the beauty and fascination of big cats. It creates a spectacularly neutral to bluish red and lively sparkle – following the metallic shimmer of Panthera Silver, the interplay between color and extraordinary sparkle of Leonis Gold, and the special intensity and brilliance of Tigris Blue.
Used alone or in combination with other pigments, the red crystalline pigments of Xirallic® NXT Cougar Red give coatings a mysterious magic with an intense sparkle in a broad spectrum of possible shades. They impart even more depth to black automotive coatings.
The European Coatings Show provided a first look at Meoxal® Victoria Red, which will be available in late 2017. It is the fourth effect pigment in the Meoxal® series, featuring excellent color intensity and extraordinary brilliance while evoking the world's deserts. Meoxal® Victoria Red is inspired by the color strength and intensity of Australia's Great Victoria Desert. The simultaneously color-intense and vibrant effect pigment enables stylings both in pure red and in bluish nuances.
For simply brilliant surfaces
Tivida® fluorosurfactants make perfect, flawless, and scratch-free coatings possible. Its special branched molecular design enables maximum performance at minimum application concentrations without the environmental issues associated with conventional fluorosurfactant chemicals. Merck presented Tivida® FL 3000 at the European Coatings Show. It is the first non-ionic fluorosurfactant from the Tivida® series and is excellently suited for aqueous and non-aqueous coating formulations. Thanks to its high chemical stability, it also works very well in applications with either acidic or alkaline pH values.
Pigments from the Iriotec® 7000 series dissipate electrostatic charge where it develops: on the surface of printed packaging and painted or coated surfaces. The new product Iriotec® 7340 has an even lighter-colored mass tone – with the proven conductivity of the Iriotec® 7000 range, it is particularly suited for light-colored or colored coatings and floor coatings as well as for conductive primers for electrostatic application (ESTA).
Writing and designing with light
The functional pigments from the Iriotec® 8000 series convert laser light to durable, wear-resistant markings that remain in the material. So far, this series has made a name for itself above all for indestructible markings in all types and colors of plastic. Now there's Iriotec® 8850: This innovative pigment reacts so quickly and sensitively to laser light that only a very thin layer is sufficient for a permanent marking. Light and colored powder-coated surfaces can now be labeled with razor-sharp expiration dates, bar codes, or trademarks.
And much more – the pigment's fast reaction time uses a process developed by LPKF Laser & Electronics AG for an extremely innovative purpose: With laser light and this pigment, a large number of light-colored plastics and powder coatings can be metallized as the basis for the development of 3D circuit carriers. These circuit boards are applied directly to the component, creating totally new design possibilities for designers and product developers.
Inspiring concepts and application examples
Visitors to the European Coatings Show have seen what the innovative products and pigments from Merck are suited for and what they actually look like. That's because Merck's trend researchers have developed the Global Mobility Color Inspirations (GMCI) tool. They have pooled their individual experiences, observations, and analyses from around the world about how people live and what they like. From this they have derived color, material, and social trends for the future and interpreted them with ideas for innovative paints for car bodies. The tool describes five trends in-depth: 1001 Nations, Crossroads, Park, House of Truth, and Data Bridge.
These trends were also visible in the Merck Innovative Concept Car ("the car of tomorrow"). Visitors were able to view this type of car "live" in virtual reality with smartglasses. The car meets future automotive trends, requirements, and usage patterns with materials from Merck. These materials included colors for car body paints that virtual users could create themselves using novel effect pigments, as well as autonomous driving, online communication, adaptive headlights, various design options for interiors and exteriors, and innovatively shaped displays.
Last but not least, Merck illustrated the innovative power of its products through the materials used in its own exhibition stand. The floor shimmered with a striking-muted effect provided by Miraval® Cosmic Silver. Façade panels showed the possibility of effect pigments with coil coatings and powder coatings, for example with Xirallic® NXT Leonis Gold. Liquid crystal window modules created privacy by partitioning the meeting nooks. An eye-catching Rolls-Royce in a fascinating red was one of the main attractions of the stand itself, while a Harley-Davidson featuring premium pearlescent pigments at the hall's east entrance invited visitors to stop by Merck's stand.
For further information: www.merck.it