Studying the Effects of Conventional and Functional Surface Active Additives on the Surface Chemistry and Rheological Properties of an Acrylic-melamine Automotive Clearcoat

The surface chemistry and morphology of an automotive clearcoat are the main parameters affecting its outdoor durability like resistance against mechanical, chemical andphoto degradations. Incorporating surface active additives into the coating formulation is the usual way to improve the coatingsurface properties without significant coating formulation changes. Depending on the molecular weight, chemical structure and surface tension, the additive effects on coatingproperties will be changed. Conventional additives have been widely used in order to control resin properties. These additivesare surface active which could migrate to the air-coating interface, controlling its properties. However, the additives durability in exposure to outdoor condition is poor. Functionaladditives with capability of reacting with resin functional groups are one way to obtain coating with better performance.This study aims to compare the performance of different additives on the resin surface tension and rheological properties.