Wacker expands technical centre in Mexico City

Munich-based chemicals group Wacker has expanded the service portfolio at its technical centre in Mexico City, Mexico. The local facility now comprises state-of-the-art applications technology and test equipment for polymer dispersions needed as binders for architectural coatings and adhesives.

The expansion not only enables Wacker to help its local customers develop new and tailor-made products for the region, it also encourages the exchange of know-how and promotes internationally recognised quality standards in Latin America. The expansion has focused on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions used as binders for low-odour indoor paints, durable outdoor coatings and sustainable waterborne adhesives.

The enhanced technical centre will now also support customers in the paints, coatings and adhesives sectors to develop new products and applications for the regional markets with regard to locally available raw materials, climatic and environmental conditions and regional requirements. The new labs are equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation meeting international standards: Tests range from optical and rheological property measurements of VAE-enhanced paints, such as gloss, reflectance, viscosity or sag resistance to physical qualities of paints and adhesives, like density, solids content or thermal stability. Additionally, the technical centre has installed a new UV chamber to analyse colour fading and weathering behaviour of polymer-modified exterior coatings.