Aqua Aero Coatings is a trading company that focuses on the development, production and sale of mainly water based anti-corrosion coatings for the Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning & Refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. In addition to anti-corrosion coatings, they also develop antimicrobial and anti-viral coatings for indoor applications such as air handling units and evaporators.
In regions where water-based systems are difficult to apply, the company offers modified solvent based coatings.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Aqua Aero Coatings: The most important areas where Aqua Aero is most active are the regions where a lot of corrosion is caused by environmental pollution such as salt, chemicals, extreme heat, heavy industry etc.
Coastal areas, but also off-shore and industrial areas, such as waste water treatments, power plants, desalination plants, etc. where there is a lot of pollution from emissions and chemicals, are heavily corrosive environments, so you will have to protect your valuable HVAC&R equipment.
E.E: What’s the news for 2021 about new products?
Aqua Aero Coatings: In 2021 Aqua Aero was the first company active in the HVAC&R industry to launch water based coating in aerosols. We have developed a do-it-yourself aerosol for cleaning and coating for the outdoor units, condensers, as well as for the indoor units, evaporators.
Maintenance and cleaning are the most important factors to prevent corrosion.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
Aqua Aero Coatings: We distinguish a number of coatings within the company. The coating for the finpack of heat exchangers must have a balanced ratio between maximum corrosion protection and minimum film thickness. Since the capacity of a heat exchanger is judged on the amount of heat transfer, you do not want to insulate the finpack with the coating layer. By adding aluminum pigments to the coating formula, we ensure a negligible heat transfer capacity loss.
The coating for components, headers, casing and exteriors, on the other hand, needs more layer thickness to offer the galvanic material and the copper parts sufficient corrosion protection.
The condensation water collection trays are also vulnerable to corrosion, but even more so to the growth of unwanted micro-organisms. These can cause an unpleasant odor often referred to as Dirty Sock Syndrome. By applying an antimicrobial floor coating in these collection trays you can monitor hygiene and limit the cleaning cycles.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
Aqua Aero Coatings: The HVAC&R coating industry is a niche market where most active players are quite conservative. That is why far too many harmful VOCs are still being sprayed on a daily basis worldwide. Aqua Aero tries to change this by developing water based solutions of at least the same quality and properties. Given the worldwide interest of companies to contribute to sustainability and a green footprint, you can expect the demand for water based coatings to increase. Aqua Aero sees this reflected in the annual growth of new factories and service partners that join the advance of our water based coating systems.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
Aqua Aero Coatings: As described earlier, you see the market trend emerging that more and more leading companies around the world want to switch from emitting a lot of harmful emissions to as little as possible. By switching to water based coating systems from Aqua Aero, a company can quickly improve this part of their production process. In addition to being better for the environment, it is also much less harmful to the applicators that work with coating products on a daily basis.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
Aqua Aero Coatings: In my opinion, the most innovative product marketed last year is the Aqua Aero AMPower® Coat, which is a water based Anti-Viral coating, that is available in cans, but also in aerosol. This makes it an ideal product for service companies, contractors and home-owners.
By applying AMPower® Coat to duct work, indoor air conditioning units and Air Handling Units, the coating layer will become resistant to the growth of yeast, mildew, funghi, bacteria and viruses.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2021?
Aqua Aero Coatings: My expectation for 2021 and beyond is that the coating industry market will become increasingly aware of their contribution to the footprint they leave on the planet. As a result, the demand for sustainable products, such as water based coating systems, will only increase. If a company switches every day from solvent based coatings to water based coatings, the world will get a little better every day in which we, our children and their children, would like to live healthy for a very long time.