Profiles in Innovation at Covia: Scott Van Remortel & CRISTOBALEX™

Covia is an industry-leading provider of innovative mineral solutions for a variety of industrial markets, delivering essential ingredients for a wide range of coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers. To better develop a broad portfolio of value-added industrial minerals, Covia constantly strives to improve our processes.

To highlight the products and Team Members behind recent technical advancements, we’re pleased to recognize Scott Van Remortel, Applications & Technology Manager at Covia, and our most recent mineral breakthrough, CRISTOBALEX™ filler. Read on to learn more about Scott and how revolutionary CRISTOBALEX is enhancing the whiteness and performance of paints and coatings.

Profiles in Innovation: Scott Van Remortel

Scott began working in the mineral business in 1992 as a coating scientist. He was initially hired to start the paint and coating lab at Covia. From working on mineral processing projects to technical sales, Scott has worked in several positions since he started over 30 years ago.

In his current role, Scott supports Covia’s technology platform throughout the company’s industrial minerals business. He also provides technical sales support and applications testing within the lab, as well as helping guide the projects in our innovation pipeline. We use a Stage Gate approach to product development, which ensures structured evaluation and decisions throughout the innovation process.

In his personal life, Scott enjoys spending time with his wife of 25 years and two children, one who is in college studying mechanical engineering and one who is training to be a veterinarian.

Scott was one of the Team Members who helped bring CRISTOBALEX to market. We are grateful for his insight and contributions to delivering this innovative additive.

CRISTOBALEX: Ultrawhite Reflective Filler

CRISTOBALEX production begins with high-purity spherical quartz grains, which are thermally treated. Scott explains how Covia’s process takes advantage of cristobalite’s natural properties. “As you heat the silica, it increases in volume and becomes whiter. We take a ground silica material with color impurities, and through this process, the color becomes very, very white, and the structure expands and stays locked in an open position.” After processing, CRISTOBALEX is then micronized into a fine powder that is used in products such as:

• Cool roofing
• Road markings
• Architectural applications
• Sealants and adhesives

Delivering Sustainability Through Innovation

As a highly reflective filler for cool elastomeric roof coatings, CRISTOBALEX can increase a product’s efficiency while reducing its carbon footprint. By cooling urban centers and warm cities, AC units don’t have to work so hard, ultimately resulting in decreased energy consumption and overall emissions. Covia is proud to play a role in reducing energy emissions while making buildings and communities more comfortable and sustainable.

Sustainability is critical in our mission to Act Responsibly. We are dedicated to creating innovative and sustainable solutions that empower our customers to address complex environmental challenges without sacrificing material strength and quality. Learn more about Covia’s ESG program, https://www.coviacorp.com/esg/.

Covia: Your Trusted Partner for Mineral Solutions

Covia is already hard at work developing the next generation of performance fillers to further improve our current lineup. We are piloting several next generation materials based on our customer’s needs to help further the industrial coatings industry. Covia is committed to being an industry leader – dedicating resources to rapidly grow, innovate, and plan for the future.

When asked about the future of Covia, Scott remarked, “I’m interested in developing talent in the areas of technology. I’m very excited to hire talented new scientists and chemists who will be a great fit to fulfill Covia’s vision.”

Beyond providing innovative and sustainable solutions, we are also committed to exceptional customer service. Covia is your trusted partner and has been delivering high-quality mineral solutions for more than 25 years. You can rely on our expertise, robust supply chain, strategic distribution network, large-scale production capabilities, impeccable logistics, and reliable delivery.

Looking for a partner for your next project? Contact us today to learn more about our sustainable mineral solutions, including the transformative benefits of CRISTOBALEX for cool roofs and more.