Summary for low temp cure basecoat Discussion
Low temp cure basecoat for ABS is the core issue here: the questioner wanted a decorative, interior coating system for ABS parts that could survive spray cleaning, drying, electrostatic basecoat, vacuum metallizing, and topcoat application without warping at cure temperatures below about 150°F. They had success with polycarbonate but found ABS cheaper and harder to coat at low temperature. The only answer in the thread came from Don Barnett, who suggested Bulldog adhesion promoter, describing it as a plastic-specific solvent product that can be sprayed onto cleaned plastics before a basecoat/clearcoat or single-stage urethane. His advice points toward using an adhesion promoter rather than a high-temperature cure paint, but the thread does not confirm a complete ABS metallizing system or long-term performance results.
Q. I’m looking for a suitable low temp cure basecoat for ABS. We are currently running polycarbonate parts through a spray cleaner, dry off oven, electrostatic basecoat, cure, vacuum metallizing and topcoat application. We tried running ABS (it’s almost 1/2 the price of PC) as a substrate, but couldn’t get a good low temp (< 150 or so) paint that would do the job. At the elevated cure temps we were warping parts. The application is decorative and for interior use. If anyone has had any experience painting ABS, I would appreciate your help.
Thank You,
Trent Kaufman
electroplater – Galva, Illinois
A. Hi Trent,
I was never in the painting field … but you just ask about painting ABS … and, Mr. Chemist, I’d try to find a solvent approach, a low grade one.
ABS would be eminently paintable were you to use
methyl ethyl ketone ⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link]
or
acetone
⇦ on
eBay
or
or maybe ( I don’t know) perhaps even an alcohol based solvent.
Methyl hydrate should, I think, eventually attack it.
Freeman Newton [deceased] (It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).
2004