Customers – which include
municipalities, school districts, universities and retailers like Home Depot
and Best Buy – use eco-friendly MicroGuard® to remove graffiti, prevent
corrosion, enhance cleaning and save energy costs
It’s trendy, in
today’s society, to purchase anything associated with the word “green.” For
most people, the ultimate objective of adopting green products is to reduce
their carbon footprint and water usage. Yet what is more important, Jim Gibson
asks, using green products or items that result in “green performance?”
Being green is a way of corporate life and a product
commitment for Adsil, Inc., a company headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla.
From the floors at Einstein Bagel and McDonald’s restaurants to the memorial
blocks at PNC Park , home of the San Francisco Giants,
Adsil has made its crystal-clear mark on a myriad places and spaces.
Gibson’s company, Daytona Beach-based Adsil, manufactures a
line of clear, inorganic and siloxane finishes that form a hard, durable,
chemical-resistant layer of glass-like protection and can be applied to
numerous surfaces. These coatings are designed to help extend the life
expectancy of equipment and property, make it easier to maintain surfaces
(which lowers cleaning costs) and allow customers to use less water (which
helps the environment).
The concept for Adsil’s earth-friendly MicroGuard® began in
space. The original formula was developed by Dr. John Schutt, a current Adsil
shareholder, when he was with NASA. The formulas were refined to work in the
‘real world’ by Raj Dhawan, Adsil’s current director of research and
development.”
MicroGuard® is a patented coating that is inorganic and
forms a glass film that chemically bonds to metal substrates except ferrous
metal. It bonds to stainless steel, ceramic and concrete-based surfaces as well
as painted metal. The MicroGuard® line preserves, prolongs and protects an
amazing array of assets. Product finishes have been specifically designed to
protect non-ferrous metals, concrete floors, walls and other masonry surfaces,
ceramic tile and grout, terrazzo, decorative stone, barrel tile, and
pre-finished roof surfaces. MicroGuard® market applications range widely, from
architectural and commercial uses to industrial maintenance and specific
original equipment manufacturer (OEM) market sectors.
The concept for Adsil’s earth-friendly MicroGuard® began in
space. The original formula was developed by Dr. John Schutt, a current Adsil
shareholder, when he was with NASA. The formulas were refined to work in the
‘real world’ by Raj Dhawan, Adsil’s current director of research and
development.”
MicroGuard® is green in two key ways. First, the
products protect surfaces from environmental attack. Second, they enable the
use of cleaners that do not harm the environment.
The University of Florida housing
department has used MicroGuard® clear floor treatments since 2001 on more than 160,000
square feet of tile floors in the bathroom and commons areas and on more than
60,000 square feet of concrete flooring in the student union. According to UF’s Assistant Director of
Housing Jim Crocker, MicroGuard® treatments have provided a 35 percent reduction
in cleaning costs (including time, labor and chemicals), a significant odor
reduction in the bathrooms, marked improvement in the aesthetic surface
appearance and the elimination of mold growth on the exterior concrete.
HVAC systems are among the equipment that Adsil coatings
protect. An EPA study in 2004 focused on 56 separate air conditioning units
treated by Adsil coatings in Charlotte,
N.C. The units were of different
ages, sizes and models. The objective was to see if the carbon footprint of the
metropolitan area could be reduced. The study found that the energy reduction
created by Adsil coatings is equal to 60 pounds of NOX and Co2 per ton of air
conditioning
HVAC systems use between 35 to 45 percent of a building’s
energy. If the unit’s condenser fins and coils are cleaned regularly, they
operate and transfer heat more efficiently. However, if they become corroded,
this results in a heat transfer loss, a rise in energy usage and a decrease in
efficiency.
“Organic coatings can be used as a barrier to corroding
elements, but they are typically thick and reduce heat transfer,” says Gibson,
who is president and CEO of Adsil. “They are also soft and easily absorb
contaminants, and are difficult to clean without using harsh chemicals. These
chemicals can contaminate runoff to the storm water system.
“With our inorganic, siloxane-based, thin film coatings, a
building manager can maintain designed efficiency longer and clean the coils
and fins with eco-friendly cleaners,” Gibson adds. “Since the unit is easier to
clean when it is protected by our coatings, harsh chemicals are not needed. And
there are green results such as reduced cleaning time and decreased use of
cleaning machinery, the ability to use eco-friendly cleaners, and increased energy
savings.”
Simply put, Gibson says, using products that result in green
performance can be more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly than green
products themselves.
“Customers benefit from reduced energy costs by using Adsil
products,” Gibson said. “Green performance is more important than saying you
use green products because with green performance you save money and help the
environment.”
In addition to the University of Florida,
Adsil has a wide range of clients. The company has recently completed projects
for the Miller Park bathrooms in Milwaukee in time for the National League
Divisional Series, the Kenosha Lighthouse for graffiti removal, Ohio State
University (three flooring projects), and Home Depot, Best Buy and Darden Foods
to prevent corrosion, extend the efficient operating longevity of HVAC units,
and save energy.
New York City has relied upon MicroGuard® to protect its parks. The product is
used on stainless steel rails for park walkways. It is also used on stainless
and other decorative metal sculptures. The two-fold objective is to enable park
maintenance personnel to clean the metal with eco-friendly cleaners and to
avoid metal corrosion.
