This patent application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Patent Application DE 101 55 613.6, filed on Nov. 13, 2001, incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
The invention relates to a process for coating surfaces by hybrid polymer materials and the coating solutions and compositions used in this process.
For many applications, surfaces of substrates, in particular aluminium surfaces, are pretreated by means of chromating processes for the purpose of improved adhesion and for corrosion protection and then painted with organic one- or multilayer systems. However, chromating will have to be replaced by chromium-free treatments both on aluminium and on other metal surfaces because of the toxicity of chromium(VI) compounds..
Sol-gel based coatings represent a basic alternative to chromating and are described, for example, in the patent applications DE 38 28 098, DE 34 07 087 and EP-A 0 610 831. For sol-gel based coatings to represent a true alternative to chromating processes and to be able to be developed to marketable products, a number of requirements are to be imposed. These are explained briefly below:
The sol-gel materials described in the abovementioned patent application meet only some of the abovementioned requirements. Most sols cannot be converted into purely aqueous systems, cannot be stored (e.g. materials according to DE 38 28 098) or fail in the mandrel flex test in layer composites with wet or powder paint systems (e.g. materials according to DE 38 28 098 and DE 34 07 087 because of a lack of flexibility and also materials according to EP 0 610 831 with a relatively low surface energy) or under extreme test conditions, such as the acetic acid salt spray test according to ISO 9277 (e.g. all the materials according to DE 34 07 087 and materials according to EP 0 610 831 which contain esters of titanium or zirconium).
The invention is based on the object of providing a process for coating substrate surfaces, in particular aluminium surfaces, with which coatings which have the abovementioned profile of properties can be obtained.
The invention relates to a process for coating surfaces, comprising the following stages:
The invention is based on the surprising finding that only systems comprising a crosslinkable epoxysilane of the formula (II) and a complexed aluminium alkoxide of the formula (III) in combination with a prepolymer or reactive diluent which is crosslinkable or builds up interpenetrating polymer structures simultaneously fulfil all the abovementioned properties.
Glycidyloxypropyltrialkoxysilanes, in particular 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, are preferably used as crosslinkable epoxysilanes of the formula (II).
A preferred aluminium alkoxide of the formula (III) is aluminium sec-butylate (ASB).
In the context of the present invention, alkyl radicals are straight-chain, branched or cyclic radicals having 1 to 20, preferably 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and in particular lower alkyl radicals having 1 to 6, preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms. Specific examples are methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, isobutyl, n-pentyl, n-hexyl, dodecyl, octadecyl and cyclohexyl.
In the process according to the invention, the aluminium alkoxides of the formula (III) are chelated with chelate ligands known per se in a ratio of 1:0.5-2 before they are subjected to the hydrolytic condensation. A ratio of about 1:1 is preferred. Preferred chelate ligands are acetylacetone and ethyl acetoacetate.
Alternatively, starting compounds which are already complexed can be employed in the processes according to the invention. These are known to the expert and are commercially available. Reference is made to the ABCR catalogue “Metal-Organics for Material & Polymer Technology” from 2001. Of the aluminium compounds and aluminium complexes listed on pages 60 to 64, in particular the following are particularly suitable for use in the process according to the invention:
aluminium n-butoxide, aluminium s-butoxide, aluminium s-butoxide-bis(ethyl acetoacetate), aluminium t-butoxide, aluminium 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinolinate, aluminium di-s-butoxide-ethyl acetoacetate, aluminium diisopropoxide-ethyl acetoacetate, aluminium methoxide, aluminium methoxyethoxyethoxide, di-s-butoxyaluminoxytriethoxysilane, triethyl(tri-s-butoxy)aluminium, aluminium methacrylate, aluminium-9-octadecenyl acetoacetate-diisopropoxide, aluminium(III) 2,4-pentanedionate-aluminium acetylacetonate, aluminium phenoxide, aluminium stearate, aluminium(III) 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate, aluminium hexafluoropentanedionate, aluminium 3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyronate, aluminium 8-hydroxyquinolinate, aluminium isopropoxide, alumatrane and aluminium acrylate.
The prepolymers employed in the process according to the invention optionally crosslink with the crosslinkable groups of the radical R′″ according to formula (II) and/or the crosslinkable substituents on this radical, in particular the epoxide groups.
Such prepolymers are known per se to the expert and are described, for example, in EP-A 0 610 831.
Reactive diluents can also be employed instead of or in combination with such prepolymers in the context of the present invention.
These prepolymers enable flexibilization of the layer, since they bind to the silane component and/or can form interpenetrating organic polymer structures. The organic prepolymers are preferably already to be employed as an aqueous emulsion or dispersion.
The best layer properties are obtained with those prepolymers which cannot crosslink with the silane component, but build up an independent interpenetrating network to the network of the hydrolysed condensate.
Further embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of patent claims 1 to 13.
The hydrolysis of the sols can be catalysed by either dilute acid or the addition of an aminosilane. A preferred aminosilane is aminoethyltriethoxysilane. Silanes containing mercapto groups can also be employed as the condensation catalyst.
A solvent exchange is preferably carried out after the hydrolysis: In this, volatile constituents are removed in vacuo at room temperature. Too high a condensation and therefore gelling of the mixtures, which would take place at higher temperatures, is avoided by this means. Water is then added to the resulting resins, while stirring.
While low-viscosity, aqueous-alcoholic sols with a relatively low flash point initially result in the sol synthesis, with the process according to the invention it is possible to prepare the sols virtually without additional solvents and therefore to enable a relatively easy access to solvent-free or low-solvent systems.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the hydrolysed sol is initially diluted further with water and the readily volatile organic solvents are only then removed in vacuo. Aqueous sots with the same molecular weight distribution result from both processes.
From the metal compounds, it was possible to incorporate the aluminium component into the aqueous systems in amounts of up to 35 mol % (based on the hydrolysable components). Analogous titanium and zirconium compounds precipitate out as metal oxides under basic catalysis.
The following requirements can be met simultaneously with the materials mentioned:
The invention will now be explained in more detail by the following examples and comparison examples:
18.91 g 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) are stirred, while cooling with ice. 4.93 g aluminium tri-sec-butylate (ASB) are mixed with 5.28 g isopropanol in a separate glass flask, 2.00 g acetylacetonate are added slowly and the mixture is added to the reaction mixture. 1.02 g 0.1 molar phosphoric acid and 5.41 g distilled water are then added very slowly. After stirring for 2 hours at room temperature, volatile constituents are removed at room temperature under a high vacuum and replaced by distilled water. 929.27 g distilled water and 3.02 g epoxy resin, which has been dispersed in 30 g water beforehand, are then added.
The sol obtained in this was has a flash point of >65° C. and can be stored for approx. 6 months at 4° C.
Comparable sols are also obtained with the compositions listed in table 1.
1)Examples of organic additives: prepolymers or reactive diluents as crosslinking agents or for building up an interpenetrating (cf. 2-5)
2)Epoxy resin emulsion
3)Epoxy resin
4)Acrylate dispersion
5)Acrylate
6)Examples of solvents: iso-propanol, n-butanol, s-butanol, butoxyethanol
The coating experiments and the tests carried out on the coated specimens are explained in more detail below (see “Coating experiments” and tables 2-7).
23.80 g phenyltrimethoxysilane (PhTMO), 37.25 g methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MEMO) and 7.39 g aluminium sec-butylate, which has been reacted with 3.00 g acetylacetonate beforehand, are mixed with one another in a 3-necked flask, while cooling with ice. 19.23 g distilled water are then added dropwise initially very slowly (⅓ of the amount in the course of 15 min) and then somewhat faster (remaining amount in approx. 5 min). After stirring for 2 h at room temperature, 14.61 g ethyl acetate, 4 g tetraacrylate and 2.8 g of a photoinitiator are added in succession. A clear, low-viscosity solution is formed.
59.5 g phenyltrimethoxysilane (PhTMO), 460.1 g glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and 26.9 g aminopropyltriethoxysilane are brought together and stirred, while cooling with ice. 78.1 g ethyl acetoacetate are added to 147.8 g aluminium sec-butylate and the mixture is added slowly to the reaction solution. 182.3 g water are cautiously added, while stirring and maintaining the cooling with ice. After conclusion of the hydrolysis, 88.6 g epoxy resin D.E.R. 330 (Dow Corning Company) are stirred into the hydrolysis product.
46.1 g glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and 3.3 g aminopropyltriethoxysilane are brought together and stirred, while cooling with ice. 11.8 g ethyl acetoacetate are added to 29.6 g Zr(OPr)4 and the mixture is added slowly to the reaction solution. 19 g water are cautiously added, while stirring and maintaining the cooling with ice. After conclusion of the hydrolysis, 10.6 g epoxy resin D.E.R. 330 (Dow Corning Company) are stirred into the hydrolysis product.
46.1 g glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and 3.3 g aminopropyltriethoxysilane are brought together and stirred, while cooling with ice. 7.8 g ethyl acetoacetate are added to 20.4 g Ti(OBu)4 and the mixture is added slowly to the reaction solution. 19 g water are cautiously added, while stirring and maintaining the cooling with ice. After conclusion of the hydrolysis, 9.6 g epoxy resin D.E.R. 330 (Dow Corning Company) are stirred into the hydrolysis product.
The coating experiments described below were carried out with the sols described in examples 1-5 and comparison examples 1-4.
Coating Experiments
Test sheets of the aluminium alloys AlMg1 and AlMgSi1 approx. 10×10 cm in size were used for the investigations. Because of the large number of possible coating variants, a restriction was imposed in that the alloy AlMg1 was used in the first instance. However, AlMgSi1 substrates were also employed in many experiments.
The coating parameters are contained in table 3. All the sheets were pretreated with elma clean 100 (Elma clean) or by means of P3 almeco 18 in accordance with the instructions of Henkel. The following procedures are standard methods:
Elma Clean 100:
In the first series of experiments pretreated test sheets were coated by the dipping process (dipping or drawing speed: 10 cm/min, residence time: 2 sec) and cured for 90 min in a circulating air drying cabinet at 130° C. and the properties of the coated aluminium sheets were determined after storage for 24 h at room temperature (table 4). The following tests were employed for the layers:
Both the solvent-containing and the aqueous systems initially adhere very well to the surfaces of the aluminium alloys tested, and also after the exposure to moisture in the boiling test and the condensation climate test.
On the basis of the good starting results, all the systems were synthesized again and employed as a substituted for chromating in coating experiments using various top layer systems.
Properties of Treated Aluminium Surfaces Combined with 2C PU Wet Paint or a Layer System of 2C EP Primer and 2C PU Top Paint
A conventional wet paint coating composite for aluminium surfaces comprises a 2C EP primer and a 2C PU top paint. The 2C EP primer otherwise usually used was initially consciously omitted here, in order to test whether chromating and the primer can be replaced simultaneously with the treatment. Sheets were also provided with the complete paint system for comparison purposes.
Pretreated and coated test sheets were now intermediately dried in a circulating air drying cabinet for 10 min at 120° C. and overpainted either with the 2C PU wet paint or with the complete paint system. In order to be able to compare the large number of various systems of the abovementioned examples and comparison examples and the associated variations with one another, the conditions for the intermediate drying of the layers were maintained in the entire test period. The spray application of the 2C systems was carried out manually by means of SATAminijet flow cup guns (Sata). After each application of paint the layers were dried for 30 min at 80° C. All the pretreatment and coating steps were carried out on one day.
Before the corresponding laboratory tests, the coated aluminium sheets were first conditioned for one week at room temperature. The properties of the coated aluminium sheets are shown in table 5. The first test criteria for the layer composite were again
The initial adhesion is also very good in all cases here (ch 0/0; the cross-hatch characteristic values are 0 even after additional peeling off of tesa film), i.e. as expected, the layers adhere to the aluminium substrates investigated, but the adhesion in the intermediate layer with the top coating is good.
Nevertheless, adhesion problems in the cross-hatch test after exposure to moisture occurred in comparison examples 1 and 2 with very high contents of the relatively hydrophobic silanes PhTMO and MEMO. These systems were therefore not investigated further and are not listed in table 5.
The abovementioned tests allow only a very small differentiation in respect of the various systems on the AlMg1 and AlMgSi1 sheets. All the coating variants which tested positive were therefore each applied to 3 aluminium sheets approx. 20×10 cm in size and tested for resistance to filiform corrosion in accordance with EN 3665.
Furthermore
Surprisingly, the mandrel flex test without 2C EP primer was passed only by the systems according to the invention (tab. 5). This test showed further differences which point in the same direction as the adhesion after exposure to moisture. All the layer composites already failed here as soon as the relatively hydrophobic silanes PhTMO and MEMO were employed (see comparison examples 1 and 2).
For the ASS test, which is also time-consuming, it was found in the first series of experiments that only those layer systems which have an unlimited miscibility with water and do not flake in the mandrel flex test around a 2 mm mandrel are investigated. In the further test series, in each case routinely coated aluminium sheets were prepared for the ASS test. Analogously to the filiform corrosion test, in each case 3 coated aluminium sheets were also employed in the ASS test.
The systems according to the invention which comprise the components GLYMO, AMEO and aluminium alkoxide, but no further metal alkoxides, showed the best results in the ASS test. After a test period of 1,000 h, the particular paint system of the aluminium sheets on the undercoated areas is either unchanged (=m0/g0; degree of blistering according to DIN 53209), or at most a relatively slight blistering of the paint is detectable (=m1/g3-4; degree of blistering according to DIN 53209), while the 2C PU top layer or the complete layer composite of 2C EP primer and 2C PU top paint is usually detached over large areas on untreated areas (=mg5/g5) (tab.6).
In direct comparison, the more complex layer build-up with 2C EP primer and 2C PU top layer gives either the same or only a slightly better result than the system composite with 2C PU wet paint. Layers of base-catalysed sols always offer better protection than those of acid-catalysed sols. Slight differences depending on the cleaning procedure can also be detected in the ASS test; treatment with P3 almeco 18 usually shows somewhat better results.
Surprisingly, all the variants of comparison examples 4 and 5, in which (for the formation of mixed oxides) all or some of the aluminium alkoxide is replaced by zirconium ester or titanium ester, showed only a very slight to even no protective action in the ASS test.
The results of the testing for filiform corrosion after 1,000 h in a climatically controlled cabinet are also listed in table 5. The values stated in mm2/cm correspond to the area affected by corrosion in respect of the defect length. The first value in each case relates to the area without and the second value to the area with undercoating.
The values are lower and therefore better on the treated area than the comparison values of untreated specimens.
If the evaluation levels according to tab. 6 are taken as the basis, stage IV is the maximum reached. In this series of tests, the examples according to the invention which comprise only aluminium as a heteroelement give the best results. In the FFC test also, the protective action of the coatings according to comparison examples 3 and 4 was reduced significantly compared with the layers according to the invention.
The results of commercially chromated and coated aluminium sheets are also listed in table 5 for comparison. Significant differences occurred here—depending on the paint build-up—after exposure to moisture in the boiling test and in the condensation climate test.
The 2C PU top paint alone flakess off from the chromated AlMg1 sheets in the cross-hatch test after the boiling and condensation climate test. However, the layer build-up of 2C EP primer and 2C PU wet paint envisaged for chromated aluminium surfaces is resistant under the test conditions mentioned. In the ASS and FFC test, initial damage also occurred independently of the use of the 2C EP primer (blistering in the ASS test and filiform corrosion in the FFC test). The filiform corrosion is indeed somewhat less than on treated aluminium sheets, but also already to be evaluated with level IV. On the other hand, the wet paint layer composites in combination with the systems according to the invention always show less blistering in the ASS test.
Properties of Treated Aluminium Surfaces Coated with PES/Primid or PES/PT 910 Powder Paint
The various ORMO-CER sols were also tested as a chromating substitute for powder coating with a polyester/Primid or polyester/PT 910 system. The pretreated test sheets coated with the sols from the examples and comparison examples were again dried in a circulating air drying cabinet for 10 min at 120° C. Complete coating of the specimens on one day was not possible in this case. All the aluminium sheets were finished with the various systems within one week (2 aluminium sheets approx. 10×10 cm and 6 approx. 20×10 cm in size per variant). The powder coating was then carried out in one operation in an industrial powder coating plant. Curing was carried out for 20 min at 165° C. and additionally 12 min at 180° C.
Before the laboratory tests, the powder-coated aluminium sheets were also conditioned for at least one week at room temperature. The test criteria for the layer composite were the same as for the wet paints.
The properties of the coated aluminium sheets are shown in table 7. Here also, in all cases the adhesion is very good initially and after the boiling test and the condensation climate test, i.e. the layers adhere both to the aluminium substrates investigated and in the intermediate layer with the top coating. In contrast to the investigations with PU wet paint, the adhesion without undercoating was also good here. The adhesion, boiling test and condensation climate test thus allow no differentiation for the powder paint tested.
The resistance in respect of the mandrel flex test is comparable to the results with wet paint.
After 1,000 h of the ASS test, the top layer of the aluminium sheets on the undercoated areas is either unchanged (=m0/g0), or at most a relatively slight blistering of the paint is detectable (=m1/g3). Non-treated areas already show detachment and filiform corrosion on some specimens.
Powder-coated aluminium sheets of the two alloys were also tested for resistance to filiform corrosion after seeding with HCl and 1,000 h in a climatically controlled cabinet. The results are also summarized in table 7. In the case of powder coating with a polyester/Primid system, undercoating appears to have no influence on the resistance to filiform corrosion. The values for the filiform corrosion vary very widely both on treated and on untreated areas.
For comparison, chromated AlMg1 sheets were also coated with PES/Primid powder paint and tested. Differences to the treatment chiefly exist after 1,000 hours of exposure in the ASS and FFC test. In the case of the chromated sheets, filiform corrosion occurred after both tests, the corrosive attack in the ASS test even being more pronounced than in the FFC test.
1)without solvent exchange
2)after solvent exchange
3)base-catalysed
4)acid-catalysed
1)a = acid
2)2 mm mandrel
3)5 mm mandrel
4)non-coated region
1)aq = aqueous
2)a = acid
3)2 mm mandrel
4)5 mm mandrel
5)non-coated region
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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101 55 613 | Nov 2001 | DE | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4746366 | Philipp et al. | May 1988 | A |
5952044 | Deichmann et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
6054546 | Suzuki et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
6534187 | Kron et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6534197 | Noda et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
34 07 087 | May 1988 | DE |
38 28 098 | Mar 1990 | DE |
3836815 | Jul 1990 | DE |
4205819 | Sep 1993 | DE |
43 03 570 | Aug 1994 | DE |
196 53 480 | Jun 1998 | DE |
0 358 011 | Aug 1989 | EP |
365027 | Apr 1990 | EP |
0 610 831 | Aug 1994 | EP |
722911 | Jul 1996 | EP |
856560 | Aug 1998 | EP |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20030152708 A1 | Aug 2003 | US |