Innovative Studies to be Highlighted in the International Coatings Congress (ABRAFATI 2013)

The high-level programming of the 13th International Coatings Congress has already been defined and can be found on the event website (www.abrafati2013.com.br). Part of ABRAFATI 2013, the Congress will be held in September (from 16 to18) in São Paulo, Brazil, including 72 lectures, more than 50 papers shown in the Poster Session, as well as presentations from renowned experts in four plenary sessions, allowing a panoramic view on the current and future direction of the coatings chain. The ABRAFATI Rad-Tech Seminar, composed of a panel and 11 lectures, will be an additional attraction because of the growing importance of radiation curing system for technological advances in the industry.

Recent research and development of innovative character will be featured prominently involving various aspects related to the formulation, production and application of coatings, aligned to the tendency to focus on products and processes increasingly environment-friendly and allowing to provide answers for the needs of society and the market.

“Sustainability will be a key theme at the event and the studies presented will reflect this. Among the major drivers of current research related to coatings, numerous papers will emphasize the reduction of VOCs and innovations in waterborne systems”, says Jorge Fazenda, scientific adviser to ABRAFATI (the Brazilian Coatings Manufacturers Association), reminding us that nanotechnology applications continue to be another important concern of professionals dedicated to researching and making possible the coatings of the future.

The director of the prestigious Coatings Research Institute, at Eastern Michigan University (USA) where he teaches courses on polymers and coatings, Professor Jamil Baghdachi will be responsible for one of the conferences in the Plenary Sessions at ABRAFATI 2013. On Sept. 18, he will speak about the Emerging Technologies in Polymers and Coatings.

With a privileged perspective of the trends and innovations in the area, he has been with the Coatings Research Institute since 1997. He has previously spent 22 years at various technical and managerial functions at BASF, DuPont and ARCO Chemical Company. Prof. Baghdachi received a PhD in chemistry from the University of Mississippi, is the author of six technical books and dozens of papers on his area of expertise, and holds 44 patents.

“Coating technologies have reached certain maturity; however new challenges have emerged,” he said. “The industry is being impacted by three major factors of global economics, sustainability requirements and the need for high quality/multi-functionality of materials. To thrive amid ever-fiercer competition, suppliers must focus on innovation and one of its key enablers, Emerging Technologies. My presentation will discuss the science and technology of such materials, present pathways and examples of products and highlight current global research and development trends.”