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Crosslink™, Wayne Pigment Corp. Announce Joint Venture to Develop Non-Chromate Corrosion Inhibitor Pigments

Dépèche transmise le 26 juillet 2011 par Business Wire

Crosslink™, Wayne Pigment Corp. Announce Joint Venture to Develop Non-Chromate Corrosion Inhibitor Pigments

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Crosslink™, a leading developer of electrochemistry- and polymer science-based technologies, announces its joint venture (JV) with Wayne Pigment Corp. to commercialize hexavalent chromium-free (“non-chromate”) corrosion inhibitor pigments for military and industrial applications.

“Together with Wayne Pigment, we are bringing to market truly innovative and ‘smart’ coating systems that not only effectively combat corrosion, but also eliminate concerns over the toxic properties of traditionally used corrosion inhibitor products.”

The JV, CW Technologies, was formed in late May of this year, following Crosslink’s procurement of a patent on May 3 for its non-chromate corrosion inhibitor technology. Over the past decade, Wayne Pigment Corp. has obtained several patents for the development of hybrid inhibitor pigment technologies intended for the Aerospace coatings industry.

“We are excited to collaborate with Wayne Pigment Corp. in this joint venture, and believe it will facilitate rapid acceptance and deployment of our reliable, high-performance corrosion inhibition pigment technology solutions,” said Gary Krall, CEO of Crosslink. “Together with Wayne Pigment, we are bringing to market truly innovative and ‘smart’ coating systems that not only effectively combat corrosion, but also eliminate concerns over the toxic properties of traditionally used corrosion inhibitor products.”

“Our joint venture with Crosslink represents a game-changing advancement in making safe, reliable non-chromate corrosion inhibition solutions available to government and industry,” said Michael Denesha, Wayne Pigment Corp. CEO. “We look forward to executing our pigment manufacturing and commercialization strategy, as well as to identifying other key partners for this initiative from within the coatings industry.”

Hexavalent chromium, and to a lesser extent trivalent chromium compounds, are tightly controlled by EPA regulations issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation Recovery Act, and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) / Superfund, as well as by OSHA under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Despite known environmental effects, traditional chromate-based coatings have been previously unmatched in corrosion resistance performance. The need for reliable non-chromium corrosion resistance solutions has been recognized at the governmental level several times, including in the notable April 8, 2009 DoD Memorandum for Secretaries of the Military Departments “to more aggressively mitigate the unique risks to DoD operations now posed by hexavalent chromium.”¹ Most recently, the U.S. government’s May 5, 2011 Defense Federal Acquisitions Regulations Supplement (DFARS) also outlined policy to “minimize hexavalent chromium in items acquired by DoD, due to the serious human health and environmental risks related to its use.”²

The JV between Crosslink and Wayne Pigment aims to address these and other mandates via a commercialized coatings solution incorporating both companies’ non-chromate pigment technologies. This includes a promising technology developed by Crosslink that has been third-party tested by Boeing Research & Technology and Spirit AeroSystems as an alternative to traditional chromate-based pigments, based on a variety of industry-standard screening techniques and criteria. Additionally, third-party outdoor marine testing has been conducted by The Battelle Institute.

As part of the JV’s commercialization plan, the companies are also actively seeking partnerships from within the coatings industry to develop optimized conversion coat, primer and top coat formulations. Initial qualified coatings applications will include those related to military, commercial and general aviation, while longer-range plans involve a broad spectrum of military and commercial aircraft and vehicles, and industrial and infrastructure applications.

For additional information, visit www.crosslinkusa.com or contact: Crosslink, 950 Bolger Court St., St. Louis, Mo., 63026. Phone: 636.349.0050. Email: [email protected].

About Crosslink

Founded in 1997, Crosslink has built upon its proven expertise in electrochemistry and conductive polymer science to become a leader in the electroactive polymer (EAP) industry. Partnering with industry, Crosslink is focused on applying these strengths into commercialized product and system applications across numerous disciplines, with an emphasis on performance coatings, reactive detoxification materials, energy storage, sensor and controlled drug release technologies. For additional information, visit www.crosslinkusa.com.

About Wayne Pigment Corp.

Wayne Pigment Corp. is recognized as a driving force in the development and manufacturing of innovative products for the coating industry - leading the way in corrosion and stain inhibitive technology. Established in 1975 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Wayne Pigment Corp. is driven to provide high-performance, high-quality products and is committed to meeting the complex demands of the coatings industry.

¹ DoD Memorandum for Secretaries of the Military Departments: “Minimizing the Use of Hexavalent Chromium (Cr⁶⁺),” (April 8, 2009), Prepared by the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics)

² DoD Defense Federal Acquisitions Regulations Supplement (DFARS): “Title 48: Federal Acquisition Regulations System, Part 223, Subpart 223.73,” (May 5, 2011).