Home > Resources > Articles > Paintmaker PPG’s Digital Transformation Ripples Around The World

Paintmaker PPG’s Digital Transformation Ripples Around The World

Like its home city of Pittsburgh, PPG has seen many changes over its 135-year history. Originally a glass manufacturer, PPG transitioned the core of its business to paints and specialty coatings that are used on everything from driverless cars to the posts on NHL goals. But the latest change may be the most drastic. PPG has undergone a digital transformation in tandem with Pittsburgh, which has become a leading research and innovation hub.

Spotlight

Chemco Industries, Inc.

CHEMCO Industries, Inc. has been supplying environmentally safe nano cleaning and maintenance products, industrial chemicals and lubricants to municipalities, industry and private institutions since 1975. Our customer list includes Anheuser-Busch, Inc, AT&T, Boeing, Defense Logistics Agency, General Motors, SouthwestBell, Illinois Dept. of Transportation, General Services Administration, State Farm Insurance, National Maintenance, CAM LLC, Scott AFB, and numerous State and Local Agencies to mention a few.

OTHER ARTICLES
Chemical Management

We need a global agreement that sets targets for reducing plastic waste

Article | July 13, 2021

What follows is an entirely personal take on the challenge of plastic waste and does not represent the views of ICIS or any other expert opinion I have sought out. The views are put forward in the spirit of debate as we move forward, as an industry, to solve the crisis of plastic waste.

Read More
Chemical Technology

Global polyolefins for the rest of 2021: supply to lengthen as demand muddle continues

Article | July 20, 2022

SOMEHOW, despite the still very serious container freight shortages that have limited imports, buying sentiment seems to have weakened in the European polyolefins market, according to my outstanding ICIS colleague, Linda Naylor.

Read More
Chemical Management

Organic Catalyst Boasts Big Benefits

Article | July 14, 2022

An enzyme-mimicking catalyst opens a new route to important organic molecules such as glycolic acid and amino acids from pyruvate, report researchers in Japan. Moreover, the new catalyst is cheaper, more stable, safer and more environmentally friendly than conventional metal catalysts used in industry, they note, adding that it also displays the high enantioselectivity required by the pharmaceutical industry. “On top of these advantages, our newly developed organic catalyst system also promotes reactions using pyruvate that aren’t easily achievable using metal catalysts,” says Santanu Mondal, a PhD candidate in the chemistry and chemical bioengineering unit at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan, and lead author of a study recently published in Organic Letters. “Organic catalysts, in particular, are set to revolutionize the industry and make chemistry more sustainable,” he stresses. The researchers use an acid and an amine mixture to force the pyruvate to act as an electron donor rather than its usual role as an electron receiver (Figure 1). Effectively mimicking how enzymes work, the amine binds to the pyruvate to make an intermediate molecule. The organic acid then covers up part of the intermediate molecule while leaving another part that can donate electrons free to react to form a new product. Currently, the organic catalyst system only works when reacting pyruvate with a specific class of organic molecule called cyclic imines. So, the researchers now are looking to develop a more-universal catalyst, i.e., one that can speed up reactions between pyruvate and a broad range of organic molecules. The challenge here is to try to make the electron-donating intermediate stage of pyruvate react with other functional groups such as aldehydes and ketones. However, different catalysts create different intermediates, all with different properties. For example, the enamine intermediate created by the researchers’ new reaction only reacts with cyclic imines. Their hypothesis, currently being investigated, is that creation of other intermediates such as an enolate, if possible, would achieve a broader pyruvate reactivity. In terms of cost, the researchers note that a palladium catalyst used in similar reactions is 25 times more expensive than their organic acid — which also is made from eco-friendly quinine. In addition, they believe scale-up of the process for industrial use definitely is possible. However, the researchers caution that the current amine-to-acid-catalyst loading ratio of 1:2 probably would need to be optimized for better results at a larger scale.

Read More
Chemical Management

The pandemic, climate change, plastic waste and the great divide: the world in 2025

Article | June 13, 2021

NOBODY SHOULD be surprised that the developing world has fallen behind in the battle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the region is a long way from recovering from the pandemic.Evidence to this effect emerged last week in comments made by Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). “In many emerging and developing economies, emissions are heading upwards while clean energy investments are faltering, creating a dangerous fault line in global efforts to reach climate and sustainable energy goals,” said Birol. At the current rate, carbon dioxide emissions from developing countries largely in Asia, Africa and Latin America are set to increase by 5bn tonnes/year over the next two decades, according to the IEA, as access to power increases.At present, around 785m people worldwide have no access to electricity. There are also 2.6bn people without access to clean cooking options.

Read More
Chemical Management

Southeast polyolefins demand growth could be negative again in 2021

Article | July 13, 2021

What follows is an entirely personal take on the challenge of plastic waste and does not represent the views of ICIS or any other expert opinion I have sought out. The views are put forward in the spirit of debate as we move forward, as an industry, to solve the crisis of plastic waste.

Read More
Chemical Technology

Ways Your Chemical Company Can Benefit From Digitization

Article | July 20, 2022

SOMEHOW, despite the still very serious container freight shortages that have limited imports, buying sentiment seems to have weakened in the European polyolefins market, according to my outstanding ICIS colleague, Linda Naylor.

Read More
Chemical Management

Key Trends in the Digital Transformation of the Chemical Industry

Article | July 14, 2022

An enzyme-mimicking catalyst opens a new route to important organic molecules such as glycolic acid and amino acids from pyruvate, report researchers in Japan. Moreover, the new catalyst is cheaper, more stable, safer and more environmentally friendly than conventional metal catalysts used in industry, they note, adding that it also displays the high enantioselectivity required by the pharmaceutical industry. “On top of these advantages, our newly developed organic catalyst system also promotes reactions using pyruvate that aren’t easily achievable using metal catalysts,” says Santanu Mondal, a PhD candidate in the chemistry and chemical bioengineering unit at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan, and lead author of a study recently published in Organic Letters. “Organic catalysts, in particular, are set to revolutionize the industry and make chemistry more sustainable,” he stresses. The researchers use an acid and an amine mixture to force the pyruvate to act as an electron donor rather than its usual role as an electron receiver (Figure 1). Effectively mimicking how enzymes work, the amine binds to the pyruvate to make an intermediate molecule. The organic acid then covers up part of the intermediate molecule while leaving another part that can donate electrons free to react to form a new product. Currently, the organic catalyst system only works when reacting pyruvate with a specific class of organic molecule called cyclic imines. So, the researchers now are looking to develop a more-universal catalyst, i.e., one that can speed up reactions between pyruvate and a broad range of organic molecules. The challenge here is to try to make the electron-donating intermediate stage of pyruvate react with other functional groups such as aldehydes and ketones. However, different catalysts create different intermediates, all with different properties. For example, the enamine intermediate created by the researchers’ new reaction only reacts with cyclic imines. Their hypothesis, currently being investigated, is that creation of other intermediates such as an enolate, if possible, would achieve a broader pyruvate reactivity. In terms of cost, the researchers note that a palladium catalyst used in similar reactions is 25 times more expensive than their organic acid — which also is made from eco-friendly quinine. In addition, they believe scale-up of the process for industrial use definitely is possible. However, the researchers caution that the current amine-to-acid-catalyst loading ratio of 1:2 probably would need to be optimized for better results at a larger scale.

Read More
Chemical Management

The pandemic, climate change, plastic waste and the great divide: the world in 2025

Article | June 13, 2021

NOBODY SHOULD be surprised that the developing world has fallen behind in the battle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the region is a long way from recovering from the pandemic.Evidence to this effect emerged last week in comments made by Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). “In many emerging and developing economies, emissions are heading upwards while clean energy investments are faltering, creating a dangerous fault line in global efforts to reach climate and sustainable energy goals,” said Birol. At the current rate, carbon dioxide emissions from developing countries largely in Asia, Africa and Latin America are set to increase by 5bn tonnes/year over the next two decades, according to the IEA, as access to power increases.At present, around 785m people worldwide have no access to electricity. There are also 2.6bn people without access to clean cooking options.

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

Chemco Industries, Inc.

CHEMCO Industries, Inc. has been supplying environmentally safe nano cleaning and maintenance products, industrial chemicals and lubricants to municipalities, industry and private institutions since 1975. Our customer list includes Anheuser-Busch, Inc, AT&T, Boeing, Defense Logistics Agency, General Motors, SouthwestBell, Illinois Dept. of Transportation, General Services Administration, State Farm Insurance, National Maintenance, CAM LLC, Scott AFB, and numerous State and Local Agencies to mention a few.

Related News

Chemical Technology

PPG Earns Prestigious R&D 100 Recognition for Paint, Coatings Technologies

PPG | October 23, 2021

PPG today announced that three of its innovative coatings technologies have earned 2021 R&D® 100 Awards: PPG BFP-SE Battery Fire Protection, PPG ENVIROCRON™ Extreme Protection thermally conductive powder coatings, and PPG HI-TEMP® 1027 HD coating. "At PPG, our global science and technology team works tirelessly to provide value-added solutions to our customers, Leveraging our expertise across industries – combined with our constant pursuit to help our customers – enables our organization to be an industry-leader in innovation. We are proud to be honored with this esteemed recognition.” David Bem, PPG vice president, science and technology, and chief technology officer PPG BFP-SE Battery Fire Protection is an innovative coating that protects batteries in electric vehicles from fire and helps mitigate thermal runaway events, improving passenger safety. These solutions can be mass produced, efficiently applied and include battery fire protection suitable for various vehicle battery applications. PPG Envirocron Extreme Protection thermally conductive powder coatings combine dielectric protection and thermal conductivity in a single multifunctional coating for electric vehicle battery packs. PPG’s proprietary platform enhances cooling efficiency and provides exceptional electrical insulation, mitigating arcing and shorting events to improve battery performance and passenger safety. PPG HI-TEMP 1027 HD is the company’s next-generation ambient-cure, high-temperature corrosion under insulation (CUI) coating, which is ideal for new construction projects. It has excellent hardness and corrosion resistance, even during severe cyclic temperatures from -196 degrees Celsius (-320 degrees Fahrenheit) to 540 degrees Celsius (1000 degrees Fahrenheit). The coating’s resistance to the wear and corrosion that can occur on pipes, vessels and construction parts helps prevent damage and the resulting need for touch-up work, saving time and money. In addition, LIQUID NAILS® FUZE*IT MAX® all-purpose construction adhesive by PPG was recognized as a 2021 R&D 100 Awards finalist. This advanced adhesive uses hybrid technology to deliver both exceptional grab and long-term strength to bond nearly everything to everything in any weather condition. The R&D 100 Awards Committee and R&D World magazine honor the 100 most innovative technologies and services of the past year with the R&D 100 Awards. PPG has earned 32 R&D 100 Awards through the years. About the R&D 100 Awards Since 1963, the R&D 100 Awards program has identified revolutionary technologies newly introduced to the market and celebrated the top technology products of the year. Past winners have included sophisticated testing equipment, innovative new materials, chemistry breakthroughs, biomedical products, consumer items and high-energy physics spanning industry, academia and government-sponsored research. About R&D World Magazine Since its founding in 1959 as Industrial Research, R&D World magazine (www.rdmag.com) has served research scientists, engineers and technical staff at laboratories around the world, providing timely, informative news and useful technical articles that broaden readers’ knowledge of the research and development industry and improve the quality of their work. R&D World magazine is a publication of the Advantage Business Media Science Group, with sister brands including Laboratory Equipment, Bioscience Technology, Drug Discovery & Development, Laboratory Design, Scientific Computing and Controlled Environments. PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD™ At PPG we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 135 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 75 countries and reported net sales of $13.8 billion in 2020. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets.

Read More

Chemical Technology

PPG Earns Prestigious R&D 100 Recognition for Paint, Coatings Technologies

PPG | October 23, 2021

PPG today announced that three of its innovative coatings technologies have earned 2021 R&D® 100 Awards: PPG BFP-SE Battery Fire Protection, PPG ENVIROCRON™ Extreme Protection thermally conductive powder coatings, and PPG HI-TEMP® 1027 HD coating. "At PPG, our global science and technology team works tirelessly to provide value-added solutions to our customers, Leveraging our expertise across industries – combined with our constant pursuit to help our customers – enables our organization to be an industry-leader in innovation. We are proud to be honored with this esteemed recognition.” David Bem, PPG vice president, science and technology, and chief technology officer PPG BFP-SE Battery Fire Protection is an innovative coating that protects batteries in electric vehicles from fire and helps mitigate thermal runaway events, improving passenger safety. These solutions can be mass produced, efficiently applied and include battery fire protection suitable for various vehicle battery applications. PPG Envirocron Extreme Protection thermally conductive powder coatings combine dielectric protection and thermal conductivity in a single multifunctional coating for electric vehicle battery packs. PPG’s proprietary platform enhances cooling efficiency and provides exceptional electrical insulation, mitigating arcing and shorting events to improve battery performance and passenger safety. PPG HI-TEMP 1027 HD is the company’s next-generation ambient-cure, high-temperature corrosion under insulation (CUI) coating, which is ideal for new construction projects. It has excellent hardness and corrosion resistance, even during severe cyclic temperatures from -196 degrees Celsius (-320 degrees Fahrenheit) to 540 degrees Celsius (1000 degrees Fahrenheit). The coating’s resistance to the wear and corrosion that can occur on pipes, vessels and construction parts helps prevent damage and the resulting need for touch-up work, saving time and money. In addition, LIQUID NAILS® FUZE*IT MAX® all-purpose construction adhesive by PPG was recognized as a 2021 R&D 100 Awards finalist. This advanced adhesive uses hybrid technology to deliver both exceptional grab and long-term strength to bond nearly everything to everything in any weather condition. The R&D 100 Awards Committee and R&D World magazine honor the 100 most innovative technologies and services of the past year with the R&D 100 Awards. PPG has earned 32 R&D 100 Awards through the years. About the R&D 100 Awards Since 1963, the R&D 100 Awards program has identified revolutionary technologies newly introduced to the market and celebrated the top technology products of the year. Past winners have included sophisticated testing equipment, innovative new materials, chemistry breakthroughs, biomedical products, consumer items and high-energy physics spanning industry, academia and government-sponsored research. About R&D World Magazine Since its founding in 1959 as Industrial Research, R&D World magazine (www.rdmag.com) has served research scientists, engineers and technical staff at laboratories around the world, providing timely, informative news and useful technical articles that broaden readers’ knowledge of the research and development industry and improve the quality of their work. R&D World magazine is a publication of the Advantage Business Media Science Group, with sister brands including Laboratory Equipment, Bioscience Technology, Drug Discovery & Development, Laboratory Design, Scientific Computing and Controlled Environments. PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD™ At PPG we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 135 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 75 countries and reported net sales of $13.8 billion in 2020. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets.

Read More

Events