Surfex 2018

The RSC Surface Coatings interest group set up camp at Surfex 2018, held in May at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, to promote and reach out to both newcomers and well-established non-RSC members of the surface coatings community.

The event, this year coinciding with the centenary of the Oil and Colour Coatings Association, is one of the largest shows in the UK calendar for surface technology companies, and involves surface technology companies on the continent.

The surface coatings sector is a close-knit community, and, despite being relatively young, the interest group is well integrated within it. With a range of members making up the committee, they were well placed to engage with the delegates at the conference. A core focus of the interest group is to support the next generation of surface coatings chemical scientists, and throughout the conference they focussed their conversations on becoming part of their growing network, and enhancing skills and knowledge through Royal Society of Chemistry professional qualifications.

As well as being instrumental in managing the visitors to the exhibition stand, the interest group held a presentation slot where Jonathan Bourne, the chair of the interest group, introduced the group and its aims – which are to connect and enthuse members of the coatings sector. This was followed by a poster session, with young researchers from Leeds, University College London and Nottingham Trent universities presenting their research. This highlighted key academic areas in the sector as well as providing a valuable networking session for those new to the sector.