Abstract: A curable film-forming composition is provided comprising (i) 10 to 90 percent by weight based on the total weight of resin solids in the film-forming composition of a crosslinking agent; (ii) 10 to 90 percent by weight of a polymer containing a plurality of functional groups reactive with the crosslinking agent; and (iii) 5 to 85 percent by volume of particles having a mean particle size less than 100 nm. The particles comprise 1 to 99 percent by weight of at least one metal oxide wherein the metal is selected from zinc, titanium, cerium, manganese, bismuth, copper, zirconium and iron. A multi-component composite coating composition is also provided, comprising a pigmented basecoat and a clear coat. The basecoat and/or clearcoat may be derived from the curable film-forming composition described above. Also provided are coated substrates in which the curable coating compositions or the multi-component composite coating compositions described above are applied to a substrate and cured to form a cured coating.

Abstract: A method for matching paint on a vehicle, having the steps of receiving in a central computer vehicle identifying information relating to a specific vehicle and a first set of paint color data from a portion of the body of the vehicle. The central computer includes a processor, an electronic storage device in which a database is stored. The database includes vehicle identifying information for a plurality of vehicles, paint color data associated with respective vehicle identifying information, and paint formulations associated with paint color data. Software in the computer determines a best match paint formulation which relates submitted vehicle identifying information and submitted paint data to a paint formulation and compares the matched paint color data to the submitted paint color data so as to establish accuracy data. The accuracy data is applied to the process so as to be implemented in subsequent paint formulation identifications.

Abstract: A curable, aqueous film-forming composition is provided, comprising: (a) a copolymer containing reactive functional groups and comprising at least 30 mol % of residues having alternating structural units: -[DM-AM]- wherein DM represents a residue from a donor monomer, and AM represents a residue from an acceptor monomer, at least 15 mol % of the copolymer comprising a donor monomer having the structure (I): wherein R1 is linear or branched C1 to C4 alkyl, R2 is selected from methyl, linear, cyclic or branched C1 to C20 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl; and (b) a curing agent having functional groups reactive with the reactive functional groups of (a). The invention is also directed to a multi-component composite coating composition including a base coat deposited from a pigmented film-forming composition and a transparent topcoat applied over the base coat. At least one-coat is the film-forming composition described above.

Abstract: A thermosetting composition that includes an ungelled copolymer composition and a crosslinking agent. The ungelled copolymer composition includes a functional group-containing copolymer that includes segments of alternating residues derived from a donor monomer composition comprising an acceptor monomer composition. The donor monomer composition includes one or both of isobutylene and diisobutylene, and the acceptor monomer composition includes acrylic monomers and monomers containing functional groups. The ungelled copolymer composition is substantially free of transition metals and Lewis acids, and the copolymer is substantially free of maleate-type monomer residues and fumarate-type monomer residues. The crosslinking agent has at least two functional groups that are reactive with the functional groups of the copolymer. The thermosetting composition may be in liquid, powder, or dispersed form and may be applied by traditional or electrocoating methods.

Abstract: A thermosetting composition that includes an ungelled copolymer composition and a crosslinking agent. The ungelled copolymer composition includes a functional group-containing copolymer that includes segments of alternating residues derived from a donor monomer composition comprising an acceptor monomer composition. The donor monomer composition includes one or both of isobutylene and diisobutylene, and the acceptor monomer composition includes acrylic monomers and monomers containing functional groups. The ungelled copolymer composition is substantially free of transition metals and Lewis acids, and the copolymer is substantially free of maleate-type monomer residues and fumarate-type monomer residues. The crosslinking agent has at least two functional groups that are reactive with the functional groups of the copolymer. The thermosetting composition may be in liquid, powder, or dispersed form and may be applied by traditional or electrocoating methods.

Abstract: A thermosetting composition that includes a co-reactable solid, particulate mixture of a film forming material having functional groups and a crosslinking agent having at least two functional groups that are reactive with the functional groups in the film forming material. The crosslinking agent includes a copolymer having at least 30 mol % of alternating structural units of a residue from a donor monomer and a residue from one or more acrylic acceptor monomers. The thermosetting composition may coat a substrate by coalescing the composition to form a continuous film and curing the composition. The thermosetting composition may be included as part of a multi-component composite coating composition that includes an optional primer coat, a base coat deposited from a pigmented film-forming composition, and a transparent top coat applied over the base coat, where either the base coat, the transparent top coat, or both, are deposited from the thermosetting composition.

Abstract: A composition that includes a copolymer containing residues having the following structural units (I): where n is an integer from 1 to 10,000; R1 is linear or branched C1 to C4 alkyl; R2 is selected from the group consisting of methyl, linear, cyclic, or branched C2 to C20 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkaryl, and aralkyl; and R3 is a moiety comprising a group that is capable of undergoing a polymerization reaction when exposed to actinic radiation or ionizing radiation. The composition may be used to coat a substrate by providing a substrate; applying a layer of a radiation-curable composition that includes the copolymer described above over at least a portion of a surface of the substrate; and curing the radiation-curable composition by exposing the layer to actinic radiation in an amount sufficient to effect curing of the radiation-curable composition.

Abstract: A method of identifying decorative products based on matching with paint colors. The method includes the use of a relational database having data on various decorative product types which are cross-referenced to each other via color values.

Abstract: A curable film-forming composition is provided that on curing produces a coating, comprising in a medium (i) 10 to 90 percent by weight based on the total weight of resin solids in the film-forming composition of a crosslinking agent; (ii) 10 to 90 percent by weight based on the total weight of resin solids in the film-forming composition of a polymer containing a plurality of functional groups reactive with the crosslinking agent; and (iii) 20 to 85 percent by volume based on the total volume of the film-forming composition of particles having a mean particle size less than 100 nm. The particles further have an index of refraction sufficiently similar to that of the polymer of (ii) to minimize haze, and have an affinity for the medium sufficient to keep the particles suspended therein. The affinity of the particles for the medium is greater than the affinity of the particles for each other, thereby preventing agglomeration of the particles within the medium.

Abstract: A protective and decorative coating composition including semiconductor particulate colorants which in combination with a resinous composition produce a desired color. The colorants are semiconductor particles which exhibit sized-quantized absorption of visible light and have a particle size of up to about 12 nm.

Abstract: A composition that includes a non-gelled copolymer that includes one or more residues of a first polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a pendant amide, ester or carboxylic acid group. The nearest neighboring monomer residues of the majority of the first monomer residues along the copolymer molecule do not contain pendant carbonyl functional groups. The amide, ester or carboxylic acid group of the residues of the first monomer are the post polymerization transesterification, transamidification or hydrolysis reaction product of a C1-C4 alkyl ester group in the unreacted first monomer with a compound selected from amine functional compounds and hydroxy functional compounds. The reacted copolymer is substantially free of cyclical structures resulting from the transesterification, transamidification or hydrolysis reaction. The compositions may be thermosetting compositions useful in multi-layer composite coatings.

Abstract: A coating composition comprising a resinous binder and a color effect colorant in particulate form. The colorant includes an ordered periodic array of particles held in a polymer wherein a difference in refractive index between the polymer and the particles is at least about 0.01. The colorant reflects visible light according to Bragg's law to yield a goniochromatic effect to the coating composition.

Abstract: A controlled free radical polymerization process, which includes the steps of: adding a monofunctional iniferter compound to an oxygen-free solvent; heating the solution to a temperature sufficient to allow the iniferter compound to form two carbon centered radical residues; adding a first monomer composition comprising one or more monomers to the solution containing the radical containing residues; polymerizing the first monomer composition to form a quasi-living polymer; and optionally polymerizing a second monomer composition comprising one or more monomers, which are different than the first monomer composition. The resulting non-random copolymer having the general formula: ?-[—Ap—Bs—]t-? where A and B are different compositions of ethylenically unsaturated monomers; p is an integer from 1 to 1,000; s is an integer from 0 to 1,000; t is an integer from 1 to 100; and ? is a residue from the iniferter.

Abstract: A protective and decorative coating composition including about 2 to 10 different colorants which in combination with a resinous composition produce a desired visible coating. A majority of the colorants has a maximum haze of about 10% and exhibits an absorbance peak in the visible spectrum wherein at least about 50% of the total absorbance in the visible spectrum occurs at wavelengths within about 50 nm of the wavelength of the peak absorbance.

Abstract: A process for coating a substrate is provided which includes the following steps: (a) applying a waterborne base coat composition to a surface of the substrate; (b) applying infrared radiation at a power density of 1.5-8.0 kW/m2 and a first air stream simultaneously to the base coat composition such that a pre-dried base coat is formed upon the surface of the substrate; and (c) applying a second air stream in the absence of infrared radiation to the base coat composition such that a dried base coat is formed upon the surface of the substrate. Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed including continuous, batch, and semi-batch processes, which may include additional process steps, such as subsequent application of a topcoat. The process may be used to coat a variety of metal and polymeric substrates, for example, those associated with the body of a motor vehicle.

Abstract: A coating composition which includes an aminoalkyl (meth)acrylate containing acrylic polymer, a fluorocarbon polymer and a solvent. The acrylic polymer includes at least one (meth)acrylate monomers and an aminoalkyl (meth)acrylate monomer described by the structure: where Z is a divalent linking group; R2 and R3 are independently selected from H or C1-C6 linear or branched aliphatic; and R4 is H or CH3. The fluoropolymer coating composition may be applied using coil coating, spray coating or extrusion coating methods to an appropriate substrate.

Abstract: A composition and method for treating oversprayed paints in paint spray booths is provided. The composition includes an aqueous solution of a compound such as chitosan, and a complex metal salt, such as aluminum chlorohydrate, capable of flocculating the oversprayed paint, and optionally, bentonite clay. The composition is useful for detackifying and flocculating oversprayed paint, and is particularly useful as a liquid concentrate for the addition to wash systems in paint spray booths for water-based and solvent-based paints. The composition is also useful in decreasing the time for phase separation of the organic phase and the aqueous phase in solvent-based removal processes.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a copolymer that includes a first radically polymerizable low surface tension (meth)acrylate monomer and one or more other radically polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers. The copolymer has a polydispersity index of less than 2.5. The present invention further includes a controlled radical polymerization method to make the above described low surface tension containing copolymers. The method includes the steps of adding a first radically polymerizable low surface tension (meth)acrylate monomer and one or more other radically polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers to a solution containing a suitable atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator.

Abstract: An additive for a coating composition is disclosed. The additive comprises particles dispersed in a siloxane compound. When the additive is incorporated into a coating composition, the coating composition demonstrates improved mar and scratch performance. The particles can be reacted with a compound comprising a surface-active moiety prior to dispersion in the siloxane.

Abstract: A universal aqueous composition and a process for using such a composition for pretreating metal substrates is provided. The aqueous composition includes a hydroxy functional cyclic compound, such as a tannin, in an amount of at least about 500 ppm, phosphate ions, an oxidizer-accelerator, and at least one Group IVB metal compound capable of converting to a metal oxide upon application to the metal substrate, such as a fluorozirconate or fluorotitanate. The composition may further contain fluoride ions and/or iron. The composition is particularly useful for corrosion resistance with a variety of metals such as iron, steel, zinc-coated surfaces, aluminum, and alloys thereof. A disaccharide may further be provided to prolong the useful life of the composition, particularly when used in spray applications.