AkzoNobel Launches Self-cleaning Exterior Coating to Support China’s Urban Renewal

A new self-cleaning extrusion coating which uses natural rainfall to help remove dust and stains from exterior walls has been launched by AkzoNobel in China.

The TRINAR SC Series was developed specifically to support the country’s urban renewal. The new coating will address demand in the high-end building market for products capable of protecting buildings that have complex curved surfaces and irregular architectural forms.

The coating features hydrophilic self-cleaning technology and is certified to the international AAMA 2605 weatherability standard. So as well as offering long-lasting surface protection, the coating also retains a pristine, like-new façade appearance over time.

The façade of 16 On An Street in Hong Kong, coated with TRINAR SC Series coatings. (Photo: AkzoNobbel)

“This is a significant innovation which will enable customers to unlock the long-term value of self-cleaning technology, with no changes to existing customers’ coating lines – and zero compromise on color selection or finish texture,” explains James Kavanagh, Commercial Director of AkzoNobel’s Coil and Extrusion business.

He adds that by reducing the frequency of manual high-rise cleaning procedures, the next generation coating can contribute to lowering operation and maintenance costs across a building’s entire lifecycle. It can also help reduce the amount of water, chemicals and maintenance resources typically associated with cleaning building exteriors. This makes it ideally suited for the construction requirements of irregular curtain wall geometries, as well as supporting more sustainable building operations over time.

The factory-applied TRINAR SC Series will help the construction industry meet the new operational and maintenance challenges brought about by China’s ongoing pursuit of premium building quality. To help achieve striking design impact, many high-end commercial buildings feature complex curved surfaces and irregular architectural forms, which makes façade cleaning and upkeep far more technically demanding.

Continues Kavanagh: “As cities reach new heights and aesthetics evolve with the times, the steady upgrading of urban spaces is positioning architectural design at the core of shaping urban identity. With a global commercial track record of more than 25 years in coil self-cleaning coatings, we’re ideally placed to meet this increasing demand.”

Long-term on-site testing of the new coating was carried out at an office building project in Dongying Economic Development Zone. Throughout the trial period, the new product delivered exceptional, consistent self-cleaning performance. Beyond this pilot project, the system has also been successfully deployed in a range of premium building schemes, including 16 On An Street in Hong Kong. 

The launch will soon be rolled out to more high-end building applications, further strengthening AkzoNobel’s portfolio of high-performance architectural coatings designed to support the evolving needs of China’s premium construction sector.