Bayferrox Pigments from LANXESS at the Hydro-Québec Montréal ePrix

Bayferrox inorganic pigments from global specialty chemicals company LANXESS brought color to the Hydro-Québec Montréal ePrix that took place July 29 and 30, 2017 in Montréal, Canada.  The company’s Inorganic Pigments (IPG) business supplied nearly 37,000 kilograms of charcoal-colored Bayferrox 340 pigments to pre-cast concrete producer Beton Brunet for the construction of 5.5 kilometers of concrete barriers that lined both sides of the 2.75 kilometer race course.

Formula E features full electric-powered cars and uses city streets for the race course.  The concrete barriers, used to block off the course and separate the crowds from the raceway, were specially designed and constructed for the event at twice the size of standard barriers, with aesthetic appeal adorning Montreal’s city logo.

“We were very pleased to secure the business with Beton Brunet for this exciting project,” said Lise Charron, Account Manager, North America for business unit IPG, based in Montreal.  “The theme of sustainability around the whole project is a great fit, as it aligns with many of the values of our business.  The Bayferrox pigments used in the project are SCS recycled content certified pigments and the barriers were engineered to last and be re-used for several more seasons, as Montréal has signed a three-year contract to host the race.”

“Prior to this project, we had only worked with pigments on a small scale, so our experience in regards to usage and color targets was limited,” said Isabella Bégin, Project Leader at Beton Brunet.  “We were happy to partner with LANXESS on this project and receive their support with color selection and handling.  They were able to recommend a package size that could be directly dropped into our production process, eliminating dust, waste, extra handling steps and potential weighing errors.”

The race in Montréal is the last of the FIA Formula E circuit’s third season that began in Hong Kong and toured eight other cities, including Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Paris, Berlin, and New York.  

LANXESS is the world’s leading manufacturer of iron oxide color pigments and one of the leading producers of chrome oxide pigments, both of which have proven effective for decades in a wide variety of applications for coloring building materials, paints and coatings as well as plastics and paper.