Pantheon Chemical's Prekote surface pretreatment selected by Continental Airlines

Pantheon Chemical's Prekote surface pretreatment selected by Continental Airlines

Pantheon Chemical's Prekote surface pretreatment selected by Continental Airlines

February 28, 2007

Phoenix, AZ – Pantheon Chemical's non-toxic surface pretreatment, PreKote, has been selected by Continental Airlines for use in its aircraft repainting program. The airline's decision to use hexavalent chromium-free PreKote marks a shift in the aerospace industry to eliminate toxins used in the pretreatment of aircraft.

Continental Airlines was the first commercial airline to test the technology following the United States Air Force's success with PreKote. A 22 month performance analysis validated the in-service performance of PreKote, showing excellent adhesion and paint quality results. In addition, the PreKote process used on Continental Aircraft at Leading Edge Aviation Services cut process time, eliminated hazardous chemicals, improved worker health and safety conditions and reduced waste water.

Pantheon Chemical CEO, Laura Roberts, said, “We are proud to partner with Continental Airlines and Leading Edge Aviation Services. We commend the companies' forward thinking leaders for their efforts in improving the environment. Their decision to use PreKote highlights the way in which companies can implement safe technology that improves performance and their bottom-line.”

Safety and performance in a surface pretreatment merge at an important time. OSHA issued a ruling this year that reduced the permissible exposure limit for hexavalent chromium by 52 per cent in the aerospace painting industry. In the final ruling OSHA states the primary health impairments from workplace exposure to hexavalent chromium are lung cancer, asthma, and damage to the nasal epithelia and skin. Airlines, paint facilities and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are quickly responding by implementing solutions that are high-performance, non-toxic, and hexavalent chromium-free.

PreKote is a non-chromium surface pretreatment utilizing safe, hazard-free technology for use in the painting and coating industries. PreKote offers superior adhesion, improved paint flexibility, and advanced corrosion protection on painted surfaces when used as part of a coating system. PreKote replaces both chromium and non-chromated conversion coating systems, replacing acid etches, solvent washes and other toxic substances on metal and composite substrates prior to priming and painting.