At the end of December 2011, MPI will move its coatings performance lab testing work from Vancouver, BC to Pittsburgh, PA.

Since 1995, MPI has tested proprietary coating samples from industry suppliers in its own lab to determine if products meet MPI’s performance standards and should be listed on MPI’s Approved Products Lists, but will now transfer its testing to KTA-Tator, an accredited lab in Pittsburgh. MPI President Barry Law said that the change to a US-located lab is being made with consideration that nearly 90% of MPI's present testing originates from US-based paint and raw material manufacturers.

KTA-Tator, Inc. (KTA) of Pittsburgh, PA is certified as an Accredited Laboratory by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation, in accordance with the ISO Standard for Testing and Calibration of Laboratories. KTA's analytical and physical testing laboratories already conduct independent coatings performance testing and generate test data for associations such as AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) and their National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP), which helps state agencies generate Qualified Products Lists for bridge and highway structures.

MPI listing manufacturers should take note that testing of products already in Vancouver will continue until completion, but all shipments from now on should be sent to KTA-Tator's laboratory as follows:

MPI (Master Painter's Institute)
c/o KTA-Tator, Inc.
Attn: Cynthia O'Malley, Lab Services Manager
115 Technology Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15275
tel 412-788-1300 x180

All results, reports, and decisions will continue to emanate from MPI's lab.

KTA's coating laboratory provides paint, corrosion, and material testing services including coatings research, paint failure investigations, compositional analysis, accelerated weathering, cyclic corrosion testing, abrasive performance, and other physical testing, and is a premier provider of forensic evaluations of failures.

KTA's analytical laboratory draws upon an array of sophisticated instrumentation including a scanning electron microscope (SEM/EDS), gas chromatograph (GC), ion chromatograph (IC), high pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC), gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC-MS), Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectrometer, atomic absorption/emission spectrophotometer (AA/AE), optical digital microscopes with microphotography capabilities, and differential scanning calorimeter. KTA's materials testing laboratory draws upon accelerated weathering testing equipment and houses a complete supply of test panels and surface preparation and coating application facilities including a walk-in abrasive blast cleaning room.

KTA's laboratories conduct a multitude of routine analyses including appearance tests (color difference, gloss retention, hiding and contrast ratio); wet tests (density, solids content by weight and volume; pigment content, fineness of grind, flash point and package stability); physical properties (chemical spot testing, hardness, resistance to chipping and scrub resistance); and free film testing including tensile/elongation/flexural, and water vapor transmittance.

Questions on KTA-TATOR's laboratory can be directed to Cynthia L. O'Malley, Laboratory Services Manager, KTA-TATOR, Inc. at (412) 788-1300 ext 180 or at comalley@kta.com

Questions on MPI Approved Products can be directed to Ian Miles, MPI Senior Lab Chemist at (604) 291-7500 or ian.miles@mpi.net.