PITTSBURGH, Sept. 24, 2020 – PPG (NYSE:PPG) today announced that Wei Wang, a research chemist who has been a key contributor to the company’s breakthrough low-temperature cure (LTC) and compact process coating technologies for automotive vehicle manufacturers, has earned the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) America Gordon E. Moore Medal. He received the award, which recognizes early-career success in innovation, during a Sept. 22, 2020, virtual Innovation Day event hosted by SCI America and the Science History Institute.
Wang joined PPG in 2010 and is co-inventor of several innovative coating solutions. These include solvent- and water-based polymer dispersion technologies used in automotive OEM coatings; sound-dampening coatings; and a polymer platform for LTC-based products.
In 2016, he collaborated with PPG’s research and development team in Europe to create an LTC coating process that reduces the required curing temperature from 140° C to 105° C. Successfully launched in 2017, the technology was a finalist for a prestigious R&D® 100 Award. <,/p>
Wang also contributed to the success of PPG’s 3C1B (three-coat one-bake) Compact Paint System, which lowers cost and complexity by moving the traditional primer application into the topcoat booth to allow wet-on-wet application of primer, basecoat and clearcoat. The technology has enabled automotive OEMs to reduce coating-related energy consumption by 30%, carbon dioxide emissions by 43%, volatile organic compound emissions by 7% and overall process time by 30%.
“These outcomes represent significant sustainability benefits to our customers,” said David Bem, PPG vice president and chief technology officer. “We are proud Dr. Wang is being recognized for these achievements.”
Wang earned a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from Zhejiang University in China and holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from Queens University in Canada.
The award is named after Gordon E. Moore, who is co-founder and chairman emeritus of Intel Corporation and a seminal figure in the development of the semiconductor industry. He performed pioneering work on silicon transistors, the integrated circuit, semiconductor computer memory and the microprocessor – all before reaching 45 years of age.
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