Minister recognises ICL as a smart achiever

Citation

(1999), "Minister recognises ICL as a smart achiever", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 28 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1999.12928dab.003

Minister recognises ICL as a smart achiever

Minister recognises ICL as a smart achiever

Keywords: Awards, Curing, ICL

The achievements of specialist resins and polymers manufacturer, Industrial Copolymers Limited (ICL), have been acknowledged by Industry Minister John Battle.

The Preston-based firm was among 15 companies from around the UK to be recognised at the "Smart Achievement Awards" recently hosted by the Lady Mayor of Birmingham at Birmingham Council House (Plate 11). The awards, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), were established to recognise past recipients of Smart grants who have used their projects as springboards to significant business success. The grants were awarded to help small businesses with the cost of researching and developing technologically new products or processes.

Plate 11 Pictured from left to right are ICL's marketing executive Jamie Waterhouse, ICL's joint managing director Dr Len Daniels, the Lady Mayor of Birmingham and president of the European Patent Office, Ingo Kober

Welcoming the awards, the Minister of Industry, John Battle said: "Britain is full of talented investors and scientists. We need people who can turn good ideas into practical, commercially viable products. The Smart scheme encourages and rewards this aim, to the tune of over £1 million of government funds, in the case of this year's 15 award winners. I am delighted for them and wish them all continued success".

Industrial Copolymers was initially awarded a Smart grant in 1992, to enable the company to complete research of Incozol 4 - a bis-oxazolidine curing agent used in the formulation of polyurethane paints, sealants and elastomers. Joint managing director, Dr Len Daniels, recognised the product's vast potential, as it would enable high build, waterproof coatings with a high film thickness up to 40 times thicker than conventional paints. The formula took three years to perfect and involved making hundreds of sample variations to find the right mix. As a complex multi-stage synthesis, purity and consistency of the chemical formulation would vary considerably according to different process parameters such as heat, nitrogen for distillation and the sequence of additives.

Dr Len Daniels said: "Getting the Smart award was a crucial factor, as without it, development could have taken another five or six years to complete. The DTI award has also been a major motivational boost to the employees. It has enhanced our credibility, as well as focusing attention on the company as a serious contender in a highly competitive and otherwise traditionally established chemicals market".

Incozol 4 is now used worldwide in civil engineering and industrial markets for waterproof roof coatings, car park decking and specialist coatings for balconies and walkways. The company produces over 300 tonnes annually and demand has been so great that ICL purchased a 30,000ft2 site for expansion of its production and warehousing facilities in 1997.

In addition to oxazolidines, ICL also manufactures an extensive range of waterborne epoxy hardeners, waterborne polyurethane dispersions, polyurethanelacrylic hybrid dispersions and polyurethane prepolymers.