02-01-2010: AkzoNobel is investing almost €10 million to further boost the innovative power of the UK site where performance coatings are developed. A fire protection testing laboratory and a polymer lab for powder coatings are being added to the existing R&D infrastructure at the company's Felling site in north-east England. The investment will help further transform the location into a research hub focused on innovation and the development of new performance coatings technology.
"The fact that we are continuing to invest despite the current economic climate gives a clear indication of the importance we attach to advancing our technological expertise," explains Leif Darner, AkzoNobel's Board member responsible for Performance Coatings. "The new facilities will provide us with a state-of-the-art center of excellence which will significantly improve our ability to develop and bring new products to market."
Due to be completed early next year, the testing lab will be used by the company's Marine & Protective Coatings (M&PC) business in its development of fire protection coatings. This particular market is growing rapidly due to increasingly stringent fire protection regulations worldwide, with demand expected to double by 2018.
The new polymer lab will allow AkzoNobel Powder Coatings to optimize the 20 years of experience it has in building and commercializing polymers at Felling. Expected to be completed by the end of the year, the facility will enable researchers to handle and develop new materials and will also include scale-up capability and an application line.
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AkzoNobel is the largest global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. We supply industries and consumers worldwide with innovative products and we are passionate about developing sustainable answers for our customers.
AkzoNobel Functional Chemicals produc ... more
Akzo Nobel Base Chemicals in Skoghall is located on Hammarö, where the great lake of Vänern meets the province of Värmland. We are the world’s oldest electro-chemical plant and we manufacture advanced base chemicals used in a wide range of production processes. Our chemicals play an essenti ... more
Base Chemicals produces Energy, Salt, Chlor-Alkali products and Derivatives (such as MCA, ferric chloride and Water Treatment Chemicals). Our products play a vital role in a variety of industries and can be found in many day-to-day articles. They are used in the chemical, detergent, pulp an ... more
Akzo Nobel Surfactants is a leading supplier of surfactants. Our business unit is headquartered in Chicago, USA. The majority of the compounds we offer are surface-active agents, used in hundreds of commercial applications. Our products range from formulations for industrial and household ... more