Ship comes in for marine gel coat producers with BEPD from Perstorp
Designers and manufacturers of yachts and other high-end marine craft are currently experiencing considerable growth and a booming interest in larger yachts and innovative designs. This also increases the demands on gelcoat producers to supply superior gel coats that meet consumer expectations on higher performance, lower maintenance and increased durability for long-term value retention.
Meeting these customer demands is essential to supporting premium brands and premium pricing on high-end marine craft. To improve the water and UV resistance of gel coats and support marine gelcoat producers, we have developed and introduced BEPD. This specialty glycol is a highly effective component in improving the gloss retention and water resistance of marine gel coats and offers significant improvements over glycols traditionally used in the industry.
“Boat owners pay premium prices for exclusive boats and want them to look new and shiny even after a few seasons on the water,” explains Bo Häggman, Perstorp Global Market Development Manager, “The gloss retention of the hull and superstructure is a key factor for a boat to retain its value over time.”
BEPD gives marine gel coats superb water resistance, increasing the outdoor durability and extending the lives of sailboats, motorboats and other marine craft. Formulators of marine gel coats are already benefiting from the superior performance and protection from weathering and harsh chemicals that BEPD from Perstorp yields in gel coats.
“Leading gelcoat producers appreciate the performance of BEPD and use the technology for their high-end product lines,” says Häggman, observing that as a consequence, Perstorp is now seeing a strong growth trend for BEPD in the gelcoat industries in Europe, North America and parts of Asia especially.
“BEPD is available worldwide and we expect the growth to accelerate in upcoming years,” Häggman predicts.