After 54 years of exemplary innovation as a formulator and for his technical and sales leadership in the marine and protective coatings market, Vijay Datta, MSc., Manager of Strategic Accounts of AkzoNobel, was the recipient of AkzoNobel’s prestigious “The Golden Propeller Award” upon retirement. No hyperbole: Vijay’s value on the global stage has been monumental.
Hailed as a “genius” when hired in 1971 as a development chemist by John White (Devoe Marine’s Technical Manager) Vijay joined Devoe Marine. In 1978 Vijay made one of the most stunning and game-changing inventions in the coating’s world, Bar Rust 235 sub-zero curing, surface tolerant epoxy. Based on a phenalkamine curing agent platform this coating was ranked #1 in 1984 by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Lloyds of London, as best-in-test over lesser prepared surfaces in ballast tanks. In 1984 Vijay was promoted to Technical Director. He was in charge of over 30 chemists and technicians prior to ICI purchasing Devoe Coatings Company in 1998.
Tony Stonis, President of Cardolite Corporation, who provided the first phenalkamine curing agent to all the other marine and protective coatings companies, said the latter either first rejected this technology or appeared unable to make it work. In Genoa, Italy, Tony announced to a group, “Before I die I want to know the secret of how you (Vijay) formulated Bar Rust (235).” Years later Vijay became the recipient of the Mortimer T Harvey Award given by Cardolite for Vijay’s outstanding contributions to the advancement of curing agents based on cashew nutshell liquid technology.
Past NACE President, Lou Vincent, wrote of Bar Rust 235 in the JPCL, “That material remains essentially the same today. It has a worldwide reputation for performance at both low and elevated temperatures over marginally prepared substrates.”
Randy Nixon, president and principal of Corrosion Probe, Inc. and Corrosion Testing Laboratories, Inc. recently said, “Vijay changed the entire world of epoxy coating formulation with his development of the Bar Rust Technology and the never-before-use of phenalkamine curing agents. The only things more prominent than Vijay’s coating formulation contributions to our industry are his willingness to share his extensive knowledge with others and his humility.
Not surprisingly, Vijay’s coating and lining formulations garnered hundreds of millions of dollars of sales for AkzoNobel.
In the marine theatre, Vijay added to his list of inventions with ABC#3 ablative antifouling paint. This was the first tin-free ablative antifouling paint used by the US Navy and done so with great success.
Turning to tank linings Vijay was the pioneer of several high-performance epoxy linings. He developed Devchem 253 in 1988. He also developed Devchem 256, a “breathable” version of Devchem 253 to handle rapid explosive decompression in vessels as well as single-coat 100% solids epoxies, Devmat 101 and 100.
In North America and internationally Vijay is well known with his co-authors having won six SSPC’s Outstanding Publication Awards and four Editor’s Publication Awards.in the Journal of Protective Coatings and Linings.
It cannot be overemphasized that as a person Vijay is much-loved, respected by engineers, consultants and contractor’s presidents and staff from multi-national corporations, etc., He is a veritable “mentor extraordinaire” with his repository of knowledge and wisdom.
If anyone wants to delve deep into the coating’s world, who could be a better guide than Vijay Datta.
A resounding “Thank you Vijay!” Our industry wishes you all the best in retirement!
For more information, please visit akzonobel.com
