Development of Coating Systems for Stainless Steel and Stainless Steel Clad Aluminum Automotive Trim

Stainless steel and stainless steel clad aluminum (bimetal) have been used for bright exterior trim for many years. The need to manufacture bright or colored trim with the same tools has led to the development of various coating systems to color stainless steel or bimetal trim. This paper describes the mechanisms of coatings disbondment that can occur on trim. Accelerated tests for determining disbondment resistance are described and the results from these tests for a wide range of coatings are presented. Coating systems that are acceptable for stainless steel and stainless steel clad aluminum are identified.