Hoover Color and Ecoat announces project for more environmentalism

In this project Hoover Color holds responsible for the pigments side, whereas Ecoat contributes the binder products.

Opening up new markets

“Our target for this collaboration is to actively open up new markets for Cathay’s product range in Europe and other regions that have a strong tendency towards environmentally friendly applications. As highly innovative industry partners, Ecoat and Hoover Color strengthen our performance driven by the intention to act in an environmentally conscious way”, says Axel Schneider, CEO Cathay Industries Europe.

Eco-friendly iron oxides

Cathay’s new American division Hoover Color is one of the market leaders in naturally occurring semi-transparent raw and burnt umbers as well as in eco-friendly transparent iron oxides for the paints and coatings industries. Hoover Color recovers iron oxides from abandoned coal mining drainage and converts waste streams into transparent “EnvironOxide” pigments. Through this process, waste waters get purified and the solid substances are turned into high quality pigments. Application areas for the products are among others paints and coatings for wood and metals.

Bio-based emulsions

Ecoat pursues a strategy similar to Hoover Color’s in order to develop binders for waterborne coatings. By using bio-based raw materials and designing production processes with significantly reduced energy consumption, the company develops and produces bio-sourced emulsions for architectural paints on the basis of patented technologies. The product range also involves functionalised emulsions with e. g. formaldehyde scavenging or self-crosslinking alkyd. For metal and wood care, Ecoat supplies alkyd urethane dispersions. The portfolio is completed by the full range of solvent-based conventional as well as urethanised or thixotropic alkyd resins.