Jotun expands R & D laboratory

Global paints and coatings manufacturer Jotun, one of the major providers of intumescent fre protection coatings for the infrastructure and energy industries, has completed a major expansion of its Global Intumescent R & D Laboratory to advance new product innovation and technologies.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOTUN.

This ambitious expansion more than doubles the size of the Flixborough Global Intumescent R&D facility, aiming to increase Jotun’s product development and fre testing capacity and capabilities. The new facilities will accelerate the development of new innovations and more advanced products, whilst providing additional certifcation support to Jotun’s existing product range.

Gaining market share

Jotun is determined to gain market share in this industry by accelerating development of new and advanced technologies. Its aim is to enter new markets through wider certifcation and regional product customisation in line with rapidly changing market requirements. This ensures its customers assets are fre protected according to the latest regulatory requirements and materials deliver high performance for their specifc location.

Originally constructed in 2016 and now expanded to 2,900m2, the enhanced facility increases capacity and capability for Jotun’s ongoing development of intumescent fre protection SteelMaster coatings, for steel structures within the infrastructure market and Jotachar for vital assets in the energy industries. The one-year expansion program included the installation of new furnaces, with associated application and conditioning facilities, combined with new analytical, environment simulation and mechanical testing facilities.

Milestone

Supported by Jotun’s R&D headquarters in Sandeford, Norway, the enhanced global hub in Flixborough will continue to focus on leading edge R&D projects, driving breakthrough intumescent coatings technology. In addition to the Global Intumescent Laboratory in Flixborough, Jotun has cemented its commitment to localised innovation ensuring difering certifcation and environmental requirements are met within each market. Strategic investment in regional intumescent research, development and testing facilities span Norway, United Arab Emirates, China, Korea, USA, and Malaysia. Jotun’s enhanced capabilities across its network of intumescent R&D facilities represents a signifcant milestone in its drive to advancing fre safety through research and development. The company’s growing team of dedicated scientists and industry specialists are capable of engaging with fre protection authorities, global regulators and certifcation bodies providing guidance on testing, certifcation and material performance.

Support customers

A testament to this commitment was illustrated earlier this year when Jotun unveiled its latest advance in intumescent coatings, Jotachar

JF570 XT, a patent pending all-climate capable intumescent coating, designed to protect oil, gas, and energy installations from fre and cryogenic spills, in even the most extreme environments. James Irving, R&D Manager Intumescent Coatings at Jotun, says, “When we opened the Global Intumescent R&D Centre in 2016, our vision was for a facility that could evolve to support our customers across the globe as their structural fre protection requirements become more complex and regionalised. We are delighted with this major extension, more than doubling the size of our facility, we are now ready to further enable the development of fre protection coatings and technologies to meet these requirements. Our Intumescent R&D team is expanding rapidly. These new facilities will allow our scientists, technicians, and industry specialists to reinforce our position as a global innovator in this safety-critical area of the coatings industry. This expansion is a key part of Jotun’s ambitious strategy to increase market share and grow sales of intumescent coatings by developing a global network of intumescent R&D facilities with Flixborough as the hub.” i. jotun.com

The expansion more than doubles the size of the Flixborough Global Intumescent R&D facility, aiming to increase Jotun’s product development and fre testing capacity and capabilities.