April Virtual Learning Conference to focus on waterborne resin technology.

The FSCT has announced the latest offering in its 2005 series of Virtual Learning Conferences. Dr. Frederick (Fritz) Walker will present "Aspects of Waterborne Resin Technology" on April 21, 2005, from 2:00-3:30 (ET).

Register by April 14 to receive discounts on registration rates.

Course Description

Due to consumer preference for waterborne resin technologies, as well as increasingly stringent environmental regulations, there has been a tremendous shift toward waterborne technology in the coatings industry. Yet water is an unusual carrier for organic polymers, which yields many advantages as well as disadvantages in both resin synthesis and coating formulation and performance. This course discusses emulsion polymerization, polyurethane dispersions, water-reducible resin systems, and two-component waterborne epoxy resin technology. Emphasis is on providing a general understanding of how waterborne resins are prepared, with some discussion of the performance properties these resin technologies offer.

Learning Objectives

* Why water is such an unusual "delivery agent" for resins, and some of the properties it imparts to a formulation;

* Fundamental principles of emulsion polymerization;

* How emulsion polymerization processes are manipulated to yield complex structures at the nanoscale;

* The primary processes for the preparation of polyurethane dispersions;

* Fundamental aspects of water-reducible resin technologies including acrylics, polyesters, and cationic electrodeposition resins;

* How environmental and formulation variables affect the film formation process in WB two-component systems.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for formulators and polymer chemists working in coatings and related technology who wish to broaden their knowledge of waterborne resin technology. It will also be of interest to many people who work in sales and marketing functions, as well as people who work in the environmental field, who seek a deeper understanding of the technology that underpins the industry. An undergraduate-level knowledge of polymer chemistry is assumed.

Registration

Early Bird Fees: Register by April 14 to receive the discounted rate of: $349 FSCT member; $399 nonmember.

Regular Fees: After April 14, the registration fee is: $399 FSCT member; $449 nonmember.

Only one fee is charged per location, regardless of how many participate.

To register, visit www.coatingstech.org/Programs/Shows/Schedule.cfm; or phone: [phone] from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm Mountain Standard Time.