Painted buildings, road signs, and train cars - the cost of the routine damage caused by graffiti artists is high. Cities, communities, and transit companies like Deutsche Bahn, whose trains are a favorite target for graffiti, regularly have to dig deep into their pockets to remove the unauthorized spray painting. According to one study conducted by the Association of German Cities, graffiti results in a total of around 200 million euros in damage in Germany each year.
Not only is removing these supposed works of art expensive, it’s often complicated as well: Deutsche Bahn, for example, has specially trained employees who strip layer after layer of the spray paint from the painted surfaces of the trains - painstaking work done by hand with the help of powerful chemical cleansers. Over the course of time, this chemical and mechanical cleaning process destroys the trains’ finish, which then has to be completely restored at considerable expense - repainting one rail car costs up to €30,000.
To mitigate these expenses, Evoniks Business Line Crosslinkers has developed VESTANAT® MF, a highly efficient crosslinker for paint systems that forms a lasting barrier against chemical cleaning agents, thereby protecting finished surfaces during the graffiti-removal process. Extensive tests have also shown that this powerful protective effect also lends paints exceptional, long-lasting resistance to scratches and allows them to hold up extremely well to the elements.
Evonik Crosslinkers – Creating Bonds That Last
Evonik Crosslinkers combines expertise in isophorone chemistry and epoxy curing agent technology to support customers worldwide in coatings, adhesives, civil engineering, high-performance elastomers, and composites.
Our isophorone portfolio spans the entire value chain, including specialty amines, isocyanates, and aliphatic monomers. Backed by integrated production and deep application knowledge, these solutions help customers achieve durability, chemical resistance, and weatherability in demanding applications.
Creating bonds that last, both in materials and in customer relationships, is the principle that guides our innovation, production, and technical support.
