We believe in advancing sustainability through collaboration.
We partner with a range of public and private entities to advance sustainable initiatives and technologies. Many of our research projects relate to the intersection of our products and environmental impact. Projects include investigating the use of renewable and biobased materials, improving recyclability and reusability and removing potentially harmful substances. Our commitment to responsible research and development applies to all legacy and recently acquired product lines.
High performance coatings to combat corrosion
We are working with the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop coatings materials that are more durable and resistant to corrosion. The goal of this project is to develop coating materials that reduce process times and significantly improve performance, thereby reducing the need for rework and repair operations. These coatings will benefit the public by protecting vital infrastructure, safeguarding workers from exposure to organic solvents and reducing maintenance costs related to corrosion, which costs the DOD an estimated $20 billion each year. Additionally, the proposed materials are expected to reduce hazardous waste and associated waste disposal costs.
In the initial phase of the project, we developed a novel pretreatment technique that significantly reduces process steps and simplifies the application process. Conventional primers are then applied over this treatment. This process enables our customers to apply spray coatings in a wider set of locations including manufacturing facilities, depots or even in the field. Moving forward, we will develop and test a spray treatment that further reduces process times without the use of organic solvents. To make this effort more viable for both commercial and DOD needs, we will assess available commercial materials and compare their performance to identify the optimal materials for this novel technology. This work was funded by the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS).
Reducing environmental and occupational health impacts
Through our ongoing research partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory, we are working to develop enhanced polymer coatings and materials that provide superior protection to military assets with reduced environmental and occupational health impacts. These goals are aligned with PPG's commitment to develop and commercialize products that are safe to use, produce less waste and avoid hazardous materials. In 2023, we collaborated with the Army Research Laboratory on research into environmentally enhanced chemical agent resistant coatings (CARC), technologies to reduce or eliminate the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and coatings that reduce surface contamination by minimizing the use of hazardous materials.
Fostering collaboration across the industry
Our teams presented and participated in a variety of conferences throughout 2023, such as the CARES Conference, American Coatings Association and Green Chemistry & Engineering. PPG participates in conferences, industry associations and related meetings to learn about ongoing research and share our progress in developing more sustainable practices. Our participation helps PPG people stay informed of the newest developments in the industry while also giving PPG employees opportunities to explore innovative new collaborations with other industry leaders to solve sustainability challenges.
Beyond our research partnerships, PPG engages broadly with industry associations and other stakeholders around the world. Learn more in the stakeholder engagement section. We also work closely with our customers to develop innovative new products that address their greatest challenges. Learn more in the sustainably advantaged products section.
For more information about how we approach research partnerships, see below.
External partnerships help us develop more effective and sustainably advantaged products to protect and beautify the world.
PPG's external funding team, within our science and technology organization, explores opportunities for PPG to participate in research projects with government and educational institutions. Ultimately, our goal in these partnerships is to solve problems in the real world and solve our customers' greatest pain points. We take insights developed through our work with external partners and incorporate them into PPG's internal research and development processes.
We approach our portfolio of research projects and partnerships in much the same way that we do other parts of our R&D processes. We work to identify partnerships that focus on developing paints, coatings and specialty materials that would be considered sustainably advantaged according to our industry-leading methodology.