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-----Mechanical Properties of clearcoats
1999
Hello, I am a Materials Science student at UCLA, and am researching automotive scratch resistant coatings. I wanted to know some information of the most widely used clearcoating.
Specifically the chemical composition ( what type of polymer), scratch resistance, toughness, hardness, tensile strength, modulus of Elasticity, and any other values. I have contacted many companies and automobile manufacturers, but no on knows specific values to these.
Thanks.
UCLA - Los Angeles, California
1999
Chemical composition is known by the manufacturer of a particular paint, the general formula is not usually proprietary, so someone may be able to help you. In order to improve your chances of getting the help you need try this:
- Find out the names of the top 3 or 4 chemical companies supplying clearcoat to the automotive industry. There is a lot of research on this topic, I believe, concerning new uses for clearcoat.
- Find out the brand names of the 3 or 4 clearcoat products, e.g. Krylon, Evermore, whatever.
- The next time you contact the 3 or 4 companies, find out who the product manager is for the product. Or marketing manager, or Development manager, whatever.
- Talk to that manager, tell them you are doing a paper on Krylon, whatever, and you would like some published data from their laboratory. Tell them you want to submit your paper for publication in Metal Finishing magazine (Tarrytown, NY).
- Ask for a copy of their "press kit" for their line of automotive clearcoat. If they don't have one yet, ask if any brochures are available. You need brand names so the next time to talk to someone, you show that you know something about a product near and dear to their hearts.
Try to get a copy of the Metal Finishing "Organic Finishing Guidebook and Directory" published by Elsevier Science Inc., Tarrytown, New York. There are several chapters on testing of organic coatings. If no one has the values you need, you might try to determine them yourself on a sample of the coating.
Make sure that you haven't missed any American Society for Metals
(ASM) handbooks that may already be in your library.
Best regards,
Tom Pullizzi
Falls Township, Pennsylvania
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