Herbert Hönel - First Water-Dilutable Lacquer Resin

The Graz-based chemist succeeded in creating a revolutionary water-dilutable and non- flammable lacquer resin.

Herbert Hönel was born in Graz in 1890 and also passed away there in 1990. He studied at the Karl-Franzens-University in Graz and subsequently focused on the production of synthetic resins. In 1948, he founded Vianova Kunstharz AG in Werndorf near Graz, which is today's Allnex, where synthetic resins are still produced today. Hönel was a successful researcher and an environmental protection pioneer, replacing the environmentally harmful and flammable organic solvents in lacquers with water. He named this lacquer resin “Resydrol®,” derived from "resin" and "hydro" for water. It was used as a primer for car bodies and, in its further developed form, is still in use today. Hönel was awarded, among other honours, an honorary doctorate from his university and the Grand Golden Decoration of Styria.