Amsterdam, the Netherlands, October 25, 2007 - Fifteen years after it was first launched onto an unsuspecting market, Akzo Nobel Powder Coatings' Interpon® D2000 series of ultra-durable products is still going strong.
Measurements taken in 1992 and again this year have shown that the first ever building to take advantage of Interpon D2000 - a hospital at Mission Viejo in Orange County, California, in the United States - is still reaping the benefits. Everyone involved agrees that the project has far surpassed both the demands of the specification and the warranty terms offered on these products.
"Powder coating the hospital's aluminum windows and curtain walls was a novel concept at the time because most U.S. construction projects were using liquid paint on aluminum," explains Dave Heflin, Akzo Nobel Powder Coatings' Marketing Manager Americas. "Given the projected lifespan of the building, the architects chose a new paint system, our Interpon D2000 powder coating."
This was back in 1991, when the coating was being test marketed, following many years of outdoor weathering testing to ensure that it met the toughest technical standard of the time- the American Architectural Manufacturers Association's 605.2-90 (since superseded by AAMA2604-05). Its formal launch came a year later, in 1992.
Based on polymers designed in Akzo Nobel's own research facilities, the D2000 series of powder coatings has since achieved several notable firsts, including the first certification to the glazing industry's Qualicoat "Class 2" specification. Products from the series - which also includes regional variations - are available with an on-building colour warranty of up to 15 years.
Used by leading architects on hundreds of prestigious projects, some of the most prominent to take advantage of the series' famed longevity include Aurora Place in Sydney, the Lloyds Register in London, two stands at Newcastle United's soccer stadium in the UK, the Kanyon Complex in Istanbul, Turkey, and Chep Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong.
- - -
Note for the editor
This Akzo Nobel news release has been issued by the company's Corporate Communications department. We strive to maintain contact with various sections of the media in order to supply the latest information about all aspects of company activity around the world.
Akzo Nobel is a Fortune Global 500 company and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. It is also the Chemicals Industry leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes and Akzo Nobel is included on the FTSE4Good Index. Based in the Netherlands, we are a multicultural organization serving customers throughout the world with coatings, chemicals and human and animal healthcare products. We employ around 62,000 people and conduct our activities in these four segments, with operating subsidiaries in more than 80 countries. Consolidated revenues for 2006 totaled EUR 13.7 billion. The financial results for the year 2007 will be published on March 6, 2008.
Internet: www.akzonobel.com
Not for publication - for more information
Akzo Nobel nv
Corporate Media Relations, tel. +31 20 502 78 33
Contact: Marc Michelsen