Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-27
2004-03-23
Niland, Patrick D. (Department: 1714)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
C523S171000, C523S212000, C524S413000, C524S430000, C524S431000, C524S432000, C524S433000, C524S434000, C524S435000, C524S437000, C524S439000, C524S441000, C524S449000, C524S451000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06710103
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention generally relates to a curable, powder-based coating composition for coating a substrate. More specifically, the subject invention relates to a curable, powder-based coating composition that includes a powder-based binder and a color effect-providing pigment for coating a substrate that has a first color effect with a film layer. Upon application of the film layer to the substrate, the color effect-providing pigment interacts with the first color effect of the substrate to produce a second color effect that is different from the first color effect of the substrate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Powder-based coating compositions are known in the art. A film layer of such powder-based coating compositions is applied to a substrate throughout various industries, such as the automotive coating industry, for certain functional and aesthetic purposes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,379,947; 5,552,487; 5,569,539; 5,601,878; and 5,639,821 all disclose various powder-based coating compositions known in the prior art. It is also known in the art to incorporate conventional pigments, and even conventional flake pigments, specifically mica or aluminum flake pigments, into powder-based coating compositions.
The powder-based coating compositions of the prior art, even those conventional coating compositions that incorporate conventional mica or aluminum flake pigments, are deficient because, upon application of the film layer of the coating composition to the substrate, the film layers of the prior art compositions do not achieve a suitable color effect that varies from an original color effect of the substrate. These prior art compositions cannot attain the suitable color effect because the various pigments incorporated into the powder-based coating compositions, even mica and aluminum flakes, do not appropriately interact with light waves to establish angle-dependent color and lightness effects that are responsible for achieving the suitable color effects. As such, coating systems that rely on such conventional powder-based coating compositions first require application of a color-providing basecoat layer, or other coating layer, that underlies the film layer of the powder-based coating composition to provide the angle-dependent color and lightness effects.
In the interest of eliminating the necessity for any color-providing basecoat layer, and also because the film layers of the prior art compositions do not achieve suitable color effects that vary from the original color effect of the substrate, it is desirable to implement a unique powder-based coating composition that incorporates a color effect-providing pigment interacting with a first color effect of a substrate to produce a second color effect differing from the first color effect. It is also desirable that the powder-based coating composition of the subject invention does not require application of an underlying color-providing basecoat layer to achieve the second color effect.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A curable, powder-based coating composition is disclosed. The coating composition is utilized for coating a substrate, having a first color effect, with a film layer of the coating composition. Application of the film layer to the substrate produces a second color effect different from the first color effect of the substrate.
The coating composition includes a powder-based binder. The powder-based binder is the reaction product of a resin and a cross-linking agent. More specifically, the resin has a functional group and the cross-linking agent is reactive with the functional group of the resin. The coating composition also includes a color effect-providing pigment. The color effect-providing pigment includes a pigment substrate and an inorganic coating. More specifically, the pigment substrate has first and second substantially parallel and planar surfaces, and the inorganic coating is disposed on at least one of the first and second substantially parallel and planar surfaces of the pigment substrate. Furthermore, the inorganic coating disposed on the pigment substrate has an index of refraction of 1.8 or less.
Application of the film layer of the powder-based coating composition to the substrate allows the inorganic coating, having the index of refraction of 1.8 or less, and the pigment substrate of the color effect-providing pigment to interact with the first color effect of the substrate to produce the second color effect. The subject invention, therefore, provides a unique powder-based coating composition for coating a substrate that incorporates particular color effect-providing pigments to interact with the first color effect of the substrate to produce the second color effect. Accordingly, the coating composition of the subject invention also allows for the elimination of any color-providing basecoat underlying the film layer of the powder-based coating composition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The curable, powder-based coating composition of the subject invention coats at least one surface of a substrate, having a first color effect, with a film layer. It is to be understood that the powder-based coating composition of the subject invention includes exclusively powder-based coating compositions as well as powder slurry-based coating compositions. The first color effect is the original color and original appearance of the substrate. Application of the film layer of the powder-based coating composition to the substrate produces a second color effect that is different from the first color effect of the substrate.
Although metallic substrates, such as automotive body panels, are typical, the powder-based coating composition may be applied to other substrates without varying the scope of the subject invention. By way of example, the powder-based coating composition may be applied to a plastic substrate. Also, the powder-based coating composition of the subject invention is primarily utilized as a powder clearcoat applied to the substrate to produce the second color effect without an underlying color-providing basecoat film layer. The powder-based coating composition of the subject invention may also be utilized with an underlying film layer, such as the underlying color-providing basecoat film layer, where the underlying film layer is actually the substrate to which the film layer of the powder-based coating composition is applied. In other words, the substrate is not required to be a bare automotive body panel.
The powder-based coating composition includes a powder-based binder and a color effect-providing pigment. The color effect-providing pigment is described below. The powder-based binder is a film-forming binder that is the reaction product of a resin and a cross-linking agent. The resin includes a functional group, and the cross-linking agent is specifically reactive with the functional group of the resin. More specifically, the resin of the power-based binder is selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins, epoxy resins, phenolic resins, polyester resins, urethane resins, and combinations thereof. The functional group of the resin is selected from the group consisting of epoxy functional groups, carboxy functional groups, hydroxy functional groups, and combinations thereof. The cross-linking agent reactive with the functional group of the resin is selected from the group consisting of aminoplasts, blocked isocyanates, polycarboxylic acids, acid anhydrides, polyamines, and combinations thereof.
The color effect-providing pigment includes a pigment substrate and an inorganic coating. The subject invention preferably combines from 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of the color effect-providing pigment based on 100 parts by weight of the powder-based binder. The pigment substrate has first and second substantially parallel and planar surfaces, and the inorganic coating is disposed or applied on at least one of the first and second substantially parallel and planar surfaces of the pigment substrate. Preferably, the inorganic coating is disposed or applied on both the first and second sub
Norris William C.
Rademacher Josef
BASF Corporation
Niland Patrick D.
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