Hempel, a leading global supplier of decorative, marine and protective coatings, put up an exclusive showcase of its latest offerings, including its industry-leading, environment-friendly products, during its participation at the recent The Big 5 show in Dubai, UAE (November 5 to 8).

The products presented at the show included Topaz, its decorative internal range of paints, the water-based version of which has a very low VOC (volatile organic compounds) content; Contex Thermoguard, an exterior coating with high solar reflectivity that effectively reduces energy for cooling of buildings thus reducing electrical consumption and carbon footprint; Hempasil x3, a fully integrated, third generation fouling control solution with a proven track record of cost savings; and the recently launched innovative high-solids anti-fouling coatings range. Also showcased were the new range of tank linings that can resist elevated temperatures.

Laurence Brown, Hempel UAE country manager, says: “The positive feedback we have received at The Big 5 clearly demonstrates the great value that Hempel’s products and services deliver to our customers. Hempel’s aggressive investments in R&D (research and development) have been crucial in our continuing success to satisfy the evolving needs of our customers, particularly here in the Middle East.”

Moreover, he says, the company has introduced new eco-friendly solutions that complement the growing focus on sustainable growth and development within the business community and the society in general.

“The Big 5 gave us an opportunity to highlight the major advances we have achieved in these critical areas, while helping create greater awareness about the strategic benefits of Hempel’s green building solutions,” says Brown.

Hempel, which holds a significant market share in the GCC, takes advantage of its extensive network of manufacturing units and sales offices to supply a wide range of paint solutions for various projects in the oil and gas and shipping sectors, as well as decorative paints for villas, apartments, hotels, hospitals, and infrastructure projects.

The paints giant, which has been operating in the Middle East for more than 30 years, was founded in 1915 and is approaching 100 years of global leadership in the supply of coatings.

Meanwhile, Hempel recently launched two new intumescent coatings for passive protection of steel structures in cellulosic fires, thus providing a complete range of protective coatings, including both fire and corrosion protection. With the introduction of the new coatings, the company can now offer customers a full package coating solution for protecting buildings, including industrial halls, public buildings, stadiums, airports and supermarkets.

Lars Risum, business development manager for passive fire protection at Hempel, believes that the introduction of Hempel’s intumescent range will be extremely beneficial for customers.

“Previously, many customers have chosen Hempel primers and topcoats because they offer superior corrosion protection and application benefits, but they have then been forced to go to a second supplier for their intumescent coatings. Now they can get the full solution from us, which will make the specification and application process easier,” he says.

The first offerings in Hempel’s new intumescent range includes two one-component solvent-borne acrylic coatings. These include Hempacore One, which is specified for on-site applications; and Hempacore One FD, which is specified for off-site applications and has a very fast drying time. Both coatings provide up to 120 minutes of fire protection in cellulosic fires and have shown very good performance in official fire tests, according to Risum.

The company has invested in intumescent development since 2009, and is dedicated to developing more intumescent products and expanding its offering to customers.

Risum believes Hempel’s experience with protective coatings will give the range an edge over competitive products.
“In recent weathering tests conducted by Hempel, Hempacore One outperformed other products on the market in terms of durability. Durability is often overlooked for intumescent products and systems, but we’re determined to focus on it, because greater durability means a longer service life and less maintenance. And more importantly, a durable intumescent coating system is much more likely to perform better in a fire – and this can help save lives.”

Both Hempacore One and Hempacore One FD are approved to the European standard EN13381-8 and are already available in Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the UK, Greece, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Soon other countries will also benefit from the product range.