Juan Arango is the guest in the Professional of the Month section, a Colombian who has been characterized by bringing new research to the industry that contributes to the evolution of paints and coatings.
by Duván Chaverra Agudelo
Juan Arango Astaiza is a Colombian chemical engineer born in the city of Cali and currently serves as Technical Advisor for different companies in the United States, Canada, Germany, China, and South America.
For this and other reasons, INPRA LATINA recognizes the work of a professional who has more than 34 years of experience in the paints and coatings industry, and who also has an interesting life story based on perseverance and the ability to listen to the advice that his family gave him to get ahead.
Juan was raised with the customs of two regions such as Antioquia and Cauca, where his father and mother are from, respectively. He recognizes his father Alfonso Arango Restrepo as his great mentor and as the man who knew how to guide him on the right path.
"I was always encouraged by my father to be 'the best'. According to him, 'of the second nobody remembers', and he always gave me the example of Neil Armstrong, the first man who stepped on the moon. Who was the second? Almost no one knows the answer. For him, everything had to be done instantly, and well done the first time. He did not accept mediocrity. He was a fan of 'saving time', he said that it was the only raw material that came to us daily and punctually, and it was worth nothing. That's why everything had to be done quickly," said our Professional of the Month.
Its beginnings
Juan completed his primary and secondary studies at the Colegio Santa Librada. At the age of 16 he made an exchange to the United States to attend a school. "My recognition to the president of the AFS (American Field Service), Cali chapter, my great friend Álvaro Gamboa, who played an important role in my participation in that exchange," he said.
Upon his return, he began studying chemical engineering at the University of Valle, and after finishing the first semester he managed to obtain a scholarship to continue his studies in Germany. In 1979 he achieved his professional title from the Fachhochschule Luebeck. Subsequently, he obtained a position in the multinational Basf, and returned to Colombia to work for two years, then returned to Germany to receive training in Technical Assistance.
"I was trained in different fields of application, all mainly related to the world of acrylic dispersions, in the fields of construction, which naturally included adhesives and coatings, in particular architectural paints. In addition, the textile sector (woven and non-woven fabrics), artificial leather (LEFA -. Leder Faser), paper and cardboard coatings, carpet-backing and pressure sensitive dispersions, pressure sensitive adhesives, for the field of labels and tapes".
Juan worked with dedication for Basf until 1995. At a time when he decided to take a new step in his professional life and establish a new company with the mission of serving small customers who could not be served by "large" dispersion manufacturing companies. This project lasted four years and then emigrated to the United States, where he has based his work on research and development of new alternatives for the sector.
Achievements and goals
His experience has helped him to work on different developments of which he is proud and which are key to our industry today.
"My most satisfying achievement is to have pioneered the introduction of the acrylic concept in Colombia. As a Basf employee I was given that great opportunity. I saw many companies grow, to which I sold the first drum of some acrylic resin, and today they are large companies. All those owners of those companies still remember me and give me the credit of having been the technical advisor who shook their hands in their beginnings. This for me is very valuable," said our guest.
The Professional also highlights a research that fills him with pride: "The research that has caused me the most satisfaction has to do with the implementation of adhesives in Aerosol, water-based. It's a great innovation and I have the patent for this technology. It's very satisfying to see my name when you do a Google search: 'Juan Arango inventor.'"
Now, Juan has in mind other projects that he hopes to realize very soon, which are based on the environment, and that are free of solvents (VOC).
"For countries with changing seasons I can make the paints to pass several cycles of freezing/thawing, at temperatures below zero degrees Celsius, without using ethylene glycol; I have a patent for a solvent-free additive that solves this problem. In hot climates I developed an additive to extend the drying time. I also have technology to manufacture paints with fire resistance, with additives that are not halogenated or that produce toxic gases; I can also manufacture "Thermal" paints that decrease the passage of heat through concrete ceilings by using elements with very low thermal transmission coefficients, I also own I can manufacture luminescent paints, "explained the Professional of the month.
Criticism of low cost
The guest emphasizes the commitment of industry professionals to reduce the production of products manufactured with low quality and that compete with low price. "The most common flaw I see in paint manufacturing has to do with the misconception of wanting to make products 'cheaper' at the expense of quality. I have always thought that the German mentality is ideal: invest once for a lifetime. Make a high-quality paint that can be guaranteed for a minimum of 20 or 25 years."
Finally, Juan Arango highlights the wise decision to have chosen chemical engineering as his best professional decision: "I decided to study chemical engineering because I considered it to be the easiest of engineering. I wanted to be a production engineer in the Chemical Industry, however, this never happened. Since I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Mr. Hilmar Piper in Germany to work with Basf I was introduced to the world of research, development, formulation of finished products and technical assistance. I'm always in charge of inventing new products."
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Other aspects of the Professional
Juan Arango is married and has five children, who live in Germany and the United States. Take advantage of your free time to enjoy a good list of classic songs by the greatest exponents such as Bethoven, Mozart, Liszt, Vivaldi, among others. He also enjoys photography and video. And he claims to have been a good swimmer in his youthful days.
Another of his hobbies is traveling: "During my stay in Europe I had the opportunity to visit most European countries; I also had the privilege of visiting some Eastern Bloc countries: Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Indonesia.
And although he does not consider himself a follower of any football team, he enjoys the final games of the World Cups "especially when Brazil plays," he concluded.