Electrostatic powder coating breakthrough could regain share of wood products market lost to non-wood alternatives, inventor wins 2011 Eureka Prize
Wendy Lisney
DUNEDIN, New Zealand
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October 7, 2011
(Friday Offcuts)
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Over the last 10 years the market for wood products such as doors and windows has dropped from 50% of total to around 25% due to perceived maintenance costs and insufficient durability. This trend could be reversed by powder coating timber to create durable, economically competitive, aesthetically pleasing products.
Dr Wojciech Gutowski, the Chief Research Scientist at the CSIRO, has developed a revolutionary eco-technology that eliminates the need to use harmful and costly wet paint. His breakthrough improves the ‘stickability' of electrostatic powder coating and uses a solvent-free resin that allows powder coatings, paints and inks to better adhere to timber and other materials.
For his research in the field of interfacial interactions of sealants, adhesives and coatings, Dr Gutowski has won the 2011 Eureka Prize for Commercialisation of Innovation, one of the most prestigious awards in Australian science. For full details on the story and link to the study, check out the latest R&D Works Newsletter at http://www.fwpa.com.au/newsletter.
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