Published in

MDPI, Coatings, 6(13), p. 982, 2023

DOI: 10.3390/coatings13060982

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Processing and Weathering of Sol-Gel Clearcoats for Coil-Coated Steel

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

Clearcoats provide long-term aesthetics and protection for underlying coating systems, increasing product lifetimes. However, organic clearcoats are predominantly produced using fossil-fuel feedstocks. In search of a sustainable alternative, an experimental investigation was conducted on the development of glass-like clearcoats produced using the sol-gel process. The processing of sol-gel clearcoats over a pigmented polyurethane coating was studied by modifying the sol-gel solution pH, ageing, curing, precursor chemistry and deposition techniques. Under optimal formulation and processing conditions, defect-free sol-gel clearcoats were produced that have the potential to be scaled up to a coil-coating line using existing technologies. Mechanical testing demonstrated the coatings had excellent adhesion, hardness, and flexibility. Furthermore, accelerated laboratory weathering tests revealed the sol-gel coatings had superior degradation resistance compared to the organic coatings tested, resulting in negligible colour changes and higher gloss retention after 4000 h of exposure. The durability and environmental benefits of sol-gel clearcoats highlight their potential as a replacement for traditional organic clearcoats in a variety of applications.