Unicoat A Technical Innovation for Eliminating Off-Line Painting of Plastics

To meet the future acceptance and economic justification for expanded uses of RRIM and other thermoplastics, a new innovation for painting components on-line in automobile assembly plants is essential. A new coating technology, referred to as UNICOAT, based on two-component aliphatic urethane chemistry, shows promise as a way of achieving the flexibility, hardness and weathering properties for coatings over plastic and metal substrates. This can be accomplished when the components are painted simultaneously and followed by oven baking just below the heat distortion temperature of the plastics. The unique chemistry of urethane coatings provides latitude in curing conditions that avoids problems associated with the heat distortion characteristics of many plastics.