Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
694099 | Progress in Organic Coatings | 2007 | 6 Pages |
In the present investigation, effect of nano layered silicates on the properties of an automotive refinish clear coat based on polyurethane has been studied. Observation by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique indicates the presence of a partially intercalated structure due to dispersion of nano layers in the polymer matrix. Some levels of hazing have been established by increasing the amount of nano-filler. The effect of nano-filled clear coat on the reflectance spectra of a metallic coated substrate has been studied under three different light sources using a goniospectrophotometer and compared with a blank clear coat to determine if it can be identified by human eye. Scratch and mar resistance tests showed significant improvement even 48 h after application, when there was no gloss reduction due to usage of nano-filler. Gloss retention was increased by about 10% in presence of only 3 wt% of nano-filler. In addition to some scratch and mar resistance tests, other standard tests like adhesion, impact and bending were performed to find out optimum nano-filler/polymer ratio.