PPG Receives Environmental Award for Enviro-Prime 2000 Coatings

    PITTSBURGH--May 30, 2001--The PPG Industries product team responsible for development of Enviro-Prime 2000 lead-free anti-corrosion electrodeposition coatings for automobiles was honored last night with a Three Rivers Environmental Award.
    The annual awards are sponsored by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Pittsburgh-based utility DQE, Inc. There were 31 finalists among 10 award categories. Recipients were chosen by a panel of independent judges. PPG won recognition in the environmental products-services category.
    To provide corrosion protection and a smooth surface for paints, automakers dip car bodies in an electrically-charged coating that historically has contained lead salts or pigments to aid corrosion resistance.
    PPG's lead-free electrodeposition coating received an R&D 100 Award last fall as a significant technology breakthrough, and was a finalist earlier this year in the prestigious PACE Award program recognizing automotive supplier innovation. It is the first to outperform leaded coatings in corrosion prevention. It contains less chromium and nickel than conventional e-coats, reduces emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in application, and can reduce coating application system costs.
    PPG reports that automakers' use of Enviro-Prime 2000 e-coat has already eliminated about one million pounds of lead from primer coatings on an annual basis, and that by year-end 11 North American assembly plants with total production capacity of 1.2 million vehicles will be using its lead-free e-coat.