PA-based company drives FASTRACK at PRA Conference

03 Apr '08

2 min read

This year's two-day Paint and Research Association (PRA) Conference focused on “Reducing the Environmental Impact.” Rohm and Haas Company participated in the meeting, which covered developments related to the production and evaluation of new waterborne and high solids coatings.

Marking paints for pavement surfaces used on roads, airfields and parking lots have been around for over eighty years, but the technology has changed dramatically over that time period.

There has been a continual shift in technology from the early days of oil-modified phenol-formaldehyde resins, to alkyds, chlorinated rubber and solvent-based materials to more environmentally advanced and higher performing waterborne acrylic traffic paints.

Speaking at the conference in Brussels in mid-March, Rohm and Haas's Distinguished Scientist, Don Schall, said, "The binder breakthrough which enabled the widespread use of waterborne paints was the invention of a pH triggered quick set mechanism for faster drying waterborne paints, especially under high humidity and low air flow conditions." This invention is known as Rohm and Haas's FASTRACK technology.

Waterborne polymers continue to advance in terms of adhesion to surfaces and retention of reflective beads for night visibility. More recent progress has enabled the application of FASTRACK under near freezing temperatures.

Reflective beads have advanced along with the paint binder, providing waterborne pavement marking systems with significantly improved visibility on wet surfaces.

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