Voices Behind the Sessions:
Setting the Tone for ACC 2026
What the session chairs expect from the American Coatings Conference 2026
Sixteen sessions, 16 expert perspectives: The chairs of the ACC 2026 sessions share their views on key topics, emerging trends, and what attendees can look forward to in each part of the program.
Industrial Coatings Session
The Industrial Coatings session will review the innovative approaches designed for improving the quality and performance of industrial coatings materials. It also addresses the steps to finding answers to the existing challenges such as sustainability and environmental compliances. The session will highlight the novel ideas around waterborne and powder coatings for industrial coatings applications, offering improved balance of properties while minimizing the traditional tradeoffs.
Mihir Shah
Baril Coatings
Bhawesh Kumar
PPG
Testing and Measurement I Session
The “Testing and Measurement I” session is focused on advanced techniques to evaluate coating performance. This session will highlight a broad range of techniques to measure physical characteristics such as scratch, abrasion, surface energy, as well as stability and rheology of coatings. Presented work will also provide practical insights into ensuring coating quality, performance, and durability through innovative and accelerated testing approaches. This session is ideal for professionals seeking to optimize coating formulations and application processes.
Dr. Ingrid K. Meier
Evonik
Biobased Coatings Session
This conference session will explore a variety of approaches to help formulators increase the biobased content of their coatings. Papers that describe new biobased solvents, building blocks, monomers, binders, and additives will be presented. Attendees can expect to learn ways that they can replace fossil-based raw materials with renewably sourced alternatives to achieve high performance coatings that meet the demands of today’s market.
Gautam Haldankar
Allnex
Polyurethanes Session
The Polyurethanes session will spotlight polyurea (polyaspartic) systems, showcasing the latest innovations in high-performance coating technology. Presentations will feature cutting-edge polymers and hardeners, including next-generation solutions with increased bio-content. Attendees will discover technologies delivering superior adhesion across a wide range of substrates, outstanding low-temperature performance, and water-based systems with faster drying and enhanced hardness. Applications span key market segments, including automotive, industrial, wood, and concrete, demonstrating versatility and real-world impact.
Jigar Patel
Sherwin-Williams
Automotive and Wood Coatings Session
Join us for a deep dive into the innovations shaping the future of coatings. This session brings together breakthrough solutions for some of the industry’s toughest challenges - from enhancing mar and scratch resistance without sacrificing gloss, to navigating rapid regulatory changes with next-generation low-VOC clearcoat technologies. Discover how advanced resin architectures, effect pigment characterization, and waterborne systems drive sustainability and performance in automotive and industrial applications. We’ll also explore cutting-edge developments in transparent flame-retardant coatings for wood construction and tannin-blocking primers for superior durability. If you’re looking to stay ahead of trends and gain actionable insights into high-performance, environmentally responsible coatings, this session is a must-attend.
Kurt Wood
ACA Consultant
Architectural Coatings II Session
The Architectural Coatings II session will review some innovative new technologies of special interest to formulators of architectural coatings. Several talks will cover developments in resin technology offering an improved property balance in traditional tradeoffs such as water resistance vs. oil softening, and dirt resistance and surface hardness vs. flexibility and adhesion. Dirt pick-up resistance is a major theme of this session including a review of accelerated test protocols. Other talks will focus on new strategies for in-can stability and preservation, and for minimizing drops in paint viscosity after tinting.
Martin Rogers
Eastman
Functional Coatings Session
The Functional Coatings session highlights translating advances in resins and additives into real performance across a variety of applications including roof systems, air barriers, icephobic surfaces, and non-leaching antimicrobial coatings. Participants will see the latest innovations, rigorous quantitative data, and practical formulation and application insights presented to demonstrate enhanced performance.
Mary Roley
Carboline
Protective Coatings Technical Session
The Protective Coatings technical session highlights advancements in technology for formulating and performance. The presentation topics include improved corrosion protection, abrasion resistance, and other coatings properties, as well as design of experimentation and improved sustainability alternative materials. Attendees will learn about solutions for important concerns that industry is currently facing.
Mindy Keefe
Dow
Architectural Session I
Architectural Session I brings together innovative raw materials and advanced exposure testing methods tailored for next-generation exterior coatings. Come learn about new raw materials including hybrid dispersions (PVDF/acrylics & silicone/acrylics), colored solar reflectance pigments, and PFAS-free DPUR additives applied to a range of exterior architectural, DTM, and construction applications. Beyond exterior is a seminar on optimization of surfactant utilization in coating formulations.
Oscar L. Cordo
Atlas Material Testing Solutions
Testing and Measurement II Session
The Testing and Measurement II session will highlight new analytical and diagnostic approaches that strengthen coating formulation, performance prediction, and measurement reliability. Several talks will present advances in characterizing surface phenomena, including novel methods to evaluate antislip behavior in overprint varnishes, enhanced techniques for assessing blushing in clear concrete sealers, and improved testing strategies for coatings applied to chalky exterior substrates. Early stage corrosion detection is another key theme, featuring real time, non-invasive methods that quantify corrosion initiation and propagation beneath intact films. Additional presentations will showcase highly durable inorganic pigments with long-term weathering data, as well as sustainable PFAS-free additives that deliver early block resistance in architectural coatings. Together, these developments underscore the expanding role of sophisticated measurement tools in accelerating innovation and ensuring coating performance in demanding applications.
Ramesh Subramanian
ACA Consultant
Coatings Production Session
This session will cover innovative approaches in preparation and spray application of high solids coatings, and advancements in resin blending & single step extrusion of powder coatings. Other new information includes recent developments on TMP-free pigment treatment for coatings, real time viscosity estimation of fluids, advancements in in-line dispersion technology delivering high end dispersion quality. Finally in the area ofcharacterization, recent advances in Low-Field NMR relaxation technique to assess batch-to-batch variations of particulate materials in the dispersed state will be presented. Looking forward to welcoming you all to this interesting session at ACS 2026.
Ray Fernando
California Polytechnic State University
Grinding and Dispersing Session
Proper dispersion and stabilization of pigments is a critical step in manufacturing paints and coatings for optimum performance. Presentations in this session will cover complex interactions among the resins, pigments, and dispersant additives that lead to stable formulations. Discussions will include TiO2, carbon black and some novel dispersants.
Dr. Victoria Scarborough
The ChemQuest Group
PFAS Alternatives Session
Across the global paints and coatings industry, the accelerated phase-out of PFAS has become both a regulatory mandate and a catalyst for innovation. This session focuses on the rapidly evolving landscape of PFAS substitutes in paints and coatings. As the industry moves from compliance-driven substitution toward intentional materials redesign, this session aims to provide formulators, suppliers, and decision-makers with a realistic, technically grounded view of what comes next in PFAS-free coatings—and how to compete effectively in a post-fluorinated future.
Wei Wang
Arkema
Water-based Coatings Session
Water-based coatings session will highlight the breakthroughs driving that evolution — from kinetic insights into VOC behavior and the science of film formation, to next generation polymer architectures, plant-based crosslinkers, and high performance waterborne alternatives to traditional solvent systems. Together, these talks showcase how the coatings community is redefining what’s possible: delivering safer, more sustainable materials without compromising application properties or end-use performance.
Yasmin Sayeed-Sweet
Lamberti
Epoxy Coatings Session
The Epoxy Coatings session will spotlight traditional as well as innovative approaches to water-based epoxies from flooring to industrial corrosion protection. In addition, this session will highlight sustainability measures implemented that meet environmental goals while meeting high performance standards. The novel approaches taken to innovate epoxy coatings for indoor/outdoor applications, industrial metal protection, and thermal insulations will offer a broader overview as to the importance and relevance of traditional and water-based epoxies for protective coatings.
Yeray Lopez-Arauco
Vincentz Network
Digitalization Session
The session on digitalization highlights the importance of this topic across the global industry. It emphasizes not only the importance of digitizing databases and optimizing prediction, but also how unprecedented levels of performance can be achieved by collaborating with technology and artificial intelligence.
