German chemical firm BASF has unveiled plan to EUR2m to expand the production capacity for waterborne coatings in its Demarchi Coatings Site, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The expansion, which is expected to be completed in early 2014, will increase the chemical firm's capacity of both waterborne primer and basecoats.
According to the company, the primer smooths out uneven surface irregularities, offers stone-chip protection and protects the e-coat from UV radiation, while the basecoat provides the body its colour, effects and aesthetic appearance.
BASF South America Functional Solutions Segment and Infrastructure senior vice president Antonio Carlos Lacerda said, "Increasing waterborne coatings production capacity, we aim to meet our customers' demand that has been driven by new automotive manufacturing plants in Brazil and also by the tendency for waterborne technology instead of solvent borne."
The company said its waterborne coatings for the automotive industry eco-efficient as the water replaces most of the organic solvents that are used in solvent borne coatings, cutting down emissions of VOC - volatile organic compounds.
The new technology also claimed to reduce the time taken and resources of coatings, as well as reduces the energy consumption and CO2 emissions by about 20%.
