Claims
- 1. A method of coating comprising
- providing a coating composition comprising film-forming solids and a minor amount of a liquid atomizing agent, said composition containing about 70% to 99% by weight of said solids and about 1% to 30% by weight of said liquid atomizing agent,
- maintaining said composition under a pressure at a temperature above the normal boiling point of said liquid atomizing agent,
- atomizing said composition by reducing said pressure at a temperature above the normal boiling point of said liquid atomizing agent and below the minimum foaming temperature of said composition at atmospheric pressure, and
- conveying the atomized composition to form a coating film of said solids on a surface.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said liquid atomizing agent is in an amount of about 1 to about 10% by weight.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said solids are in an amount of 90 to about 99% by weight.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said composition is atomized by an external atomizing force.
- 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the atomizing force is an external air flow.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein said composition contains polymer film-forming solids.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said polymer comprises a thermosetting resin composition.
- 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said thermosetting resin is a polyester resin.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said polyester resin contains a liquid atomizing agent selected from the group consisting of methanol, acetone, isobutanol, isopropanol, methyl ethyl ketone, and mixtures thereof.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein said film-forming solids comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyester, an epoxy polymer, a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, an acrylic resin, and mixtures thereof.
- 11. A method of coating comprising
- providing a coating composition comprising film-forming solids and a minor amount of a liquid atomizing agent, said composition containing about 70% to 99% by weight of said solids and about 1% to 30% by weight of said liquid atomizing agent,
- coincidentally heating and mixing said composition in a loop maintained under a pressure for circulating said composition at a temperature above the normal boiling point of said liquid atomizing agent, said composition being maintained under pressure in its liquid state in said loop,
- selectively dispensing said composition from the circulating loop,
- atomizing said dispensed composition by reducing said pressure at a temperature above the normal boiling point of said liquid atomizing agent and below the minimum foaming temperature of said composition at atmospheric pressure, and
- conveying the atomized composition to form a coating film of said solids on a surface.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the coincidental heating and mixing is conducted by static mixer.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the static mixer comprises a conduit containing a number of fixed right and left-hand helices and conduit walls in heat transfer relationship with the composition.
- 14. The method of claim 11 in which the atomization is conducted by an air-spray gun.
- 15. The method of claim 11 wherein the atomization is conducted by an airless spray gun.
- 16. The method of claim 11 wherein said composition comprises a hydroxylated resin and an amine curing agent.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said liquid atomizing agent is methanol.
- 18. The method of claim 11 wherein said composition comprises a thermosetting resin composition.
- 19. The method of claim 18 wherein said thermosetting resin is a polyester resin.
- 20. The method of claim 18 wherein said liquid atomizing agent is a by-product of a thermosetting reaction of said resin.
- 21. The method of claim 20 wherein said agent is methanol and said resin is a polyester resin.
- 22. The method of claim 11 wherein said liquid atomizing agent is in an amount of about 1 to about 10% by weight and said solids are in an amount of 90 to about 99% by weight.
- 23. The method of claim 11 wherein said film-forming solids comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyester, an epoxy polymer, a copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, an acrylic resin, and mixtures thereof.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 58,837, filed Jul. 19, 1979, of Walter H. Cobbs, Jr. et al.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Bede, "Airless Atomization", pp. 1-3, Jun. 1952. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
58837 |
Jul 1979 |
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