A color paint film with liquid metal effect, a coating structure and a preparation method thereof

Abstract

This application relates to the field of coating technology, and in particular to a coating structure with a liquid metal effect and its preparation method. The raw materials of the paint film, by weight, satisfy the following: pigment: 0-20 parts, aluminum powder: 2-7 parts; the aluminum powder is in the shape of a silver dollar, and the mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to aluminum powder is ≥0.5; the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is ≤10μm; the weight of pigment is generally controlled to be 0-20 parts, and the mass fraction of aluminum powder is generally 2-7 parts, so that the paint film exhibits a better liquid metal effect; in addition, the aluminum powder can be in the shape of a silver dollar, and the mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to aluminum powder is generally ≥0.5, which can promote the uniform arrangement of small aluminum powder particles, thereby improving the shimmering effect of the paint film while reducing the graininess, thus improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film, so that the paint film has the characteristics of "high brightness when viewed from the front and low brightness when viewed from the side".

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of coating technology, and in particular to a coating structure with liquid metal effect and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Among numerous automotive exterior colors, liquid metallic silver is a unique and eye-catching option. Based on its luster and reflective properties, the car body displays clean, flowing lines or geometric textures under light. These unique metallic qualities and shimmering effects create a sense of technology and futurism. Furthermore, this color not only highlights the vehicle's exterior design but also adds a touch of high-end luxury. Currently, several color-changing inspirations have been derived from liquid metallic silver, making the car body appear more three-dimensional and textured, giving it a metallic sheen and enhancing its luxurious feel. Additionally, the cool tones and metallic texture of liquid metallic silver can be combined, such as with shimmering lines or digital textures, to create a futuristic color scheme with a technological feel, making the vehicle more personalized and unique.

[0003] Currently, there are two main technical approaches to achieving liquid metal effect colors on car bodies: using film lamination and using nanocellulose technology. However, the current film lamination process is costly and time-consuming, making it difficult to meet the mass production requirements of liquid metal effects on car bodies. In addition, the film lamination process increases the solid content of the paint. Although the nanocellulose technology can reduce the solid content of the paint to below 5% and reduce the thickness of the paint film to 1μm to 2μm, the liquid metal effect of the paint film prepared by the nanocellulose technology under existing coating equipment is currently poor. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a colored paint film with liquid metal effect, a coating structure and a method for preparing the same, in order to solve the following technical problem: how to improve the liquid metal effect of the colored paint film.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a colored paint film with a liquid metal effect, wherein the raw materials of the colored paint film, by weight, satisfy the following: pigment: 0 parts to 20 parts, aluminum powder: 2 parts to 7 parts;

[0006] The aluminum powder is shaped like a silver dollar, and the mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to the total aluminum powder is ≥0.5; the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is ≤10μm.

[0007] Optionally, the composition of the paint film, by weight, further satisfies the following: composite resin: 15 to 45 parts, functional additives: 1.4 to 10.5 parts, organic solvent: 1 to 5 parts, and water: 40 to 60 parts.

[0008] Optionally, the composite resin includes at least one of the following:

[0009] Acrylic resins, polyurethane resins, polyester resins, and amino resins.

[0010] Optionally, by weight, the composite resin includes: acrylic resin: 10 to 20 parts, polyurethane resin: 3 to 8 parts, polyester resin: 5 to 10 parts, and amino resin: 1 to 5 parts.

[0011] Optionally, the functional additive includes at least one of the following:

[0012] Wetting agents, thickeners, dispersants, defoamers, amines, catalysts, and anti-aging additives.

[0013] Optionally, the functional additives may be composed of the following components by weight: wetting agent: 0.2 to 2 parts, thickener: 0.5 to 3 parts, dispersant: 0.2 to 2 parts, defoamer: 0.2 to 2 parts, amine: 0.1 to 0.5 parts, catalyst: 0.1 to 0.5 parts, and anti-aging additive: 0.1 to 0.5 parts.

[0014] Secondly, this application provides a method for preparing the paint film described in the first aspect, the method comprising:

[0015] Pigments, aluminum powder, composite resin, functional additives, paint solvents and deionized water are mixed to obtain a paint slurry;

[0016] The colored paint slurry is sprayed onto the intermediate coating layer using electrostatic spraying, and then the colored paint coating on the surface of the intermediate coating layer is leveled and flash-dried to obtain the first colored paint layer.

[0017] The paint slurry is sprayed onto the first paint layer using an electrostatic rotary cup sprayer, and then the paint coating on the surface of the first paint layer is leveled and flash-dried to obtain a second paint coating.

[0018] The first and second paint layers are pre-baked and then cooled to obtain a paint film.

[0019] Optionally, the flash drying temperature is 23℃~30℃, and the flash drying time is 1.5min~2.5min.

[0020] Optionally, the leveling time is 2.5 min to 3.5 min.

[0021] Optionally, the pre-baking temperature is 60℃~80℃, and the pre-baking time is 6min~10min.

[0022] Thirdly, this application provides a coating structure with a liquid metal effect, the coating structure comprising: an electrophoretic coating, an aqueous intermediate coating, a clear coat coating, and the color paint film described in the first aspect, wherein the clear coat coating is disposed on one side of the color paint film, the aqueous intermediate coating coating is disposed on the side of the color paint film away from the clear coat coating, and the electrophoretic coating coating is disposed on the side of the aqueous intermediate coating coating away from the color paint film.

[0023] Optionally, the thickness of the electrophoretic coating is 10μm to 25μm, the thickness of the water-based intermediate coating is 10μm to 40μm, the thickness of the color paint film is 3μm to 8μm, and the thickness of the clear varnish coating is 35μm to 65μm.

[0024] Fourthly, this application provides a method for preparing the coating structure described in the third aspect, the method comprising:

[0025] The car body undergoes pretreatment to obtain the car body base layer;

[0026] Electrophoretic coating is applied to the vehicle body base layer, followed by baking, to form an electrophoretic coating on the surface of the vehicle body base layer;

[0027] The aqueous intermediate coating system is applied to the surface of the electrophoretic coating to form an aqueous intermediate coating layer on the surface of the electrophoretic coating.

[0028] A colored paint film is formed on the surface of the water-based intermediate coating layer according to the method described in the second aspect;

[0029] A varnish coating is applied to the surface of the colored paint film to form a varnish coating on the surface of the colored paint film, resulting in a coating structure.

[0030] The technical solutions provided in this application have the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0031] This application provides a colored paint film with a liquid metal effect. The raw materials of the colored paint film, by weight, satisfy the following: pigment: 0-20 parts, aluminum powder: 2-7 parts; wherein the aluminum powder is in the shape of a silver dollar, and the mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to the total aluminum powder is ≥0.5; the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is ≤10μm; the weight fraction of the pigment is generally 0-20 parts, and the mass fraction of the aluminum powder is generally 2-7 parts, which promotes mixing between the pigment and the aluminum powder. Sufficient aluminum powder is used to improve the contrast between light and dark areas. Aluminum powder with a high contrast between light and dark areas can help the paint film exhibit a better liquid metal effect. In addition, the shape of the aluminum powder can be silver dollar-shaped. The mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to aluminum powder is generally ≥0.5, and the particle size of fine-particle aluminum powder is generally ≤10μm. This can promote the uniform arrangement of small aluminum powder particles. The uniformly arranged aluminum powder can improve the shimmering effect of the paint film on the one hand, and reduce the graininess of the paint film on the other hand, thereby improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0034] Figure 1 A comparative schematic diagram of a paint film with a liquid metal effect provided in Embodiment 1 and Comparative Example 1 of this application;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of a method for preparing a colored paint film provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a method for preparing a coating structure provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0038] Various embodiments of this application may exist in the form of a range; it should be understood that the description in the form of a range is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as a hard limitation on the scope of this application; therefore, it should be considered that the range description has specifically disclosed all possible sub-ranges and single numerical values ​​within that range; for example, it should be considered that the range description from 1 to 6 has specifically disclosed sub-ranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6, etc., and single numbers within the range such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, regardless of the range; in addition, whenever a numerical range is indicated herein, it means including any referenced number (fraction or integer) within the indicated range.

[0039] In this document, terms including "comprising" and the like mean "including but not limited to". "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone; where A and B can be singular or plural. "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "At least one", "at least one of the following", or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of singular or plural items; for example, "at least one of a, b, or c", or "at least one of a, b, and c", can both mean: a, b, c, ab (i.e., a and b), ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. Unless otherwise specified, all raw materials, reagents, instruments, and equipment used in this application are commercially available or can be prepared using existing methods.

[0040] Figure 1 Exemplary illustrations show a product comparison diagram of a paint film with a liquid metal effect provided in Embodiment 1 and Comparative Example 1 of this application;

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, this application provides a paint film with a liquid metal effect. The raw materials of the paint film, by weight, satisfy the following: pigment: 0 to 20 parts, aluminum powder: 2 to 7 parts.

[0042] The aluminum powder is shaped like a silver dollar, and the mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to the total aluminum powder is ≥0.5; the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is ≤10μm.

[0043] It should be noted that this silver dollar-shaped aluminum powder is a special-shaped aluminum powder product obtained by pressing ordinary granular aluminum powder into flakes.

[0044] It should be noted that the silver dollar-shaped aluminum powder can be either Toyo Aluminum 0014 or Toyo Aluminum 0023; by weight, the composition of the aluminum powder may include: Toyo Aluminum 0014: 2 parts to 6 parts, Toyo Aluminum 0023: 0 parts to 1 part.

[0045] It should be noted that the pigment can be PBk-7 type high pigment ultra-transparent, PB-15:1 type ultra-transparent blue, or PV-23 type ultra-transparent purple paste; by weight, the composition of the pigment may include: PBk-7 type high pigment ultra-transparent: 0 parts to 15 parts, PB-15:1 type ultra-transparent blue: 0 parts to 3 parts and PV-23 type ultra-transparent purple paste: 0 parts to 1 part.

[0046] In some optional embodiments, the composition of the paint film, by weight, further satisfies: composite resin: 15 to 45 parts, functional additives: 1.4 to 10.5 parts, organic solvent: 1 to 5 parts, and water: 40 to 60 parts.

[0047] In these embodiments, the composite resin in the paint film composition comprises 15 to 45 parts by weight, which effectively fixes the aluminum powder and pigments to promote the formation of the paint film and thus improve the liquid metal effect of the paint film. Additionally, the functional additive comprises 1.4 to 10.5 parts by weight, which promotes complete formation of the paint film to obtain a paint film with a liquid metal effect. Furthermore, the organic solvent comprises 1 to 5 parts by weight, which improves the dispersibility of aluminum powder in the pigments and the raw material stability of the paint film, thereby enhancing the liquid metal effect of the paint film. Finally, the water comprises 40 to 60 parts by weight, which further improves the dispersibility of aluminum powder in the pigments, thereby enhancing the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0048] The composite resin is available in parts by weight of 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45.

[0049] The functional additive is available in weight parts of 1.4, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5, or 10.5 parts.

[0050] The organic solvent can be present in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 parts by weight.

[0051] The water can be in parts by weight of 40, 45, 50, 55 or 60.

[0052] It should be noted that the organic solvent can be an alcohol solvent or an alcohol ether solvent.

[0053] In some alternative embodiments, the composite resin includes at least one of the following:

[0054] Acrylic resins, polyurethane resins, polyester resins, and amino resins;

[0055] In these embodiments, the composite resin may include at least one of acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, polyester resin and amino resin, which can effectively fix the pigment and aluminum powder within the paint film to promote complete formation of the paint film, thereby improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0056] In some alternative embodiments, the composite resin comprises, by weight parts: 10 to 20 parts acrylic resin, 3 to 8 parts polyurethane resin, 5 to 10 parts polyester resin, and 1 to 5 parts amino resin.

[0057] In these embodiments, the acrylic resin can be 10 to 20 parts by weight, so that the acrylic resin is used as the main film-forming substance. As the main film-forming substance, the acrylic resin can provide orientation function for the pigments and aluminum powder in the paint film, and can promote the initial formation of the paint film, so as to ensure that the pigments and aluminum powder in the paint film are completely fixed, thereby improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0058] The polyurethane resin can be 3 to 8 parts by weight, which can help the polyurethane resin effectively fix the pigments and aluminum powder, thereby improving the fixing performance of the pigments and aluminum powder in the paint film; in addition, the polyurethane resin can improve the overall flexibility of the paint film, thereby improving the paint film's resistance to impacts from stones or pebbles.

[0059] The weight percentage of polyester resin can be 5 to 10 parts. Polyester resin can effectively improve the film-forming properties of the paint film, thereby improving the flexibility and appearance of the paint film.

[0060] The amino resin can be 1 to 5 parts by weight. The amino resin can improve the crosslinking degree of the acrylic resin. The acrylic resin with a sufficient degree of crosslinking can, on the one hand, further provide orientation function for the pigments and aluminum powder in the paint film, and on the other hand, further promote the initial formation of the paint film, thereby improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0061] The acrylic resin can be in parts by weight of 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20.

[0062] The polyurethane resin can be in parts by weight of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.

[0063] The polyester resin can be in parts by weight of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10.

[0064] The amino resin can be present in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 parts by weight.

[0065] In some alternative embodiments, the functional additive includes at least one of the following:

[0066] Wetting agents, thickeners, dispersants, defoamers, amines, catalysts, and anti-aging additives;

[0067] In these embodiments, the functional additives may include at least one of wetting agents, thickeners, dispersants, defoamers, amines, catalysts, and anti-aging additives, which can improve the dispersibility of aluminum powder in pigments and the raw material stability of paint films, thereby improving the liquid metal effect of paint films.

[0068] In some optional embodiments, the functional additives, by weight, comprise: wetting agent: 0.2 to 2 parts, thickener: 0.5 to 3 parts, dispersant: 0.2 to 2 parts, defoamer: 0.2 to 2 parts, amine: 0.1 to 0.5 parts, catalyst: 0.1 to 0.5 parts, and anti-aging additive: 0.1 to 0.5 parts;

[0069] In these embodiments, the wetting agent can be 0.2 to 2 parts by weight. The wetting agent can increase the atomization and wetting properties of the raw materials in the paint film, so as to facilitate the dispersion and formation of the raw materials in the paint film, thereby improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0070] The amount of thickener by weight can be 0.5 to 3 parts. The thickening properties of the thickener can be used to adjust the rheological properties of the paint film, thereby improving the viscosity recovery ability of the paint film. In addition, the thickener can also enhance the orientation ability of aluminum powder in the paint film and the storage stability of the paint film, so as to promote the uniform distribution and complete fixation of aluminum powder in the paint film, thereby improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0071] The weight of the dispersant can be 0.2 to 2 parts. Through the dispersing properties of the dispersant, the aluminum powder can be dispersed in the paint film for a long time and evenly. In addition, the dispersant can also increase the dispersibility of other hydrophobic substances such as composite resins, thereby promoting the uniform color distribution of the paint film and improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0072] The defoamer can be 0.2 to 2 parts by weight. It can improve the defoaming performance of the paint film raw material, thereby increasing the film thickness covering the pinhole surface in the paint film, improving the smoothness of the paint film, and thus improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0073] The amine can be 0.1 to 0.5 parts by weight. The stability of the raw materials in the paint film can be improved by the amine, so as to promote the stable and uniform dispersion of aluminum powder in the paint film, thereby improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0074] The catalyst can be 0.1 to 0.5 parts by weight. The catalyst can increase the crosslinking density of the paint film, so as to promote the stable and uniform distribution of aluminum powder in the paint film, thereby improving the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0075] The weight percentage of the anti-aging additive can be 0.1 to 0.5 parts. The anti-aging additive can improve the stability of pigments and aluminum powder in the paint film, thereby improving the anti-aging properties of the paint film and thus enhancing the liquid metal effect of the paint film.

[0076] The wetting agent can be present in parts by weight of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 parts.

[0077] The thickener can be present in parts by weight of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, or 3.0.

[0078] The dispersant can be present in parts by weight of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0.

[0079] The defoamer can be present in parts by weight of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0.

[0080] The amine can be present in parts by weight of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5.

[0081] The catalyst can be in parts by weight of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5.

[0082] The anti-aging adjuvant can be present in parts by weight of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5.

[0083] Figure 2 An exemplary schematic diagram of a method for preparing a colored paint film according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0084] like Figure 2 As shown, based on a general inventive concept, this application provides a method for preparing the colored paint film, the method comprising:

[0085] S1. Mix pigments, aluminum powder, composite resin, functional additives, paint solvents and deionized water to obtain a paint paste;

[0086] S2. The colored paint slurry is sprayed onto the intermediate coating layer using electrostatic spraying, and then the colored paint coating on the surface of the intermediate coating layer is leveled and flash-dried to obtain the first colored paint coating layer;

[0087] S3. The paint slurry is sprayed onto the first paint layer using an electrostatic rotary cup sprayer, and then the paint coating on the surface of the first paint layer is leveled and flash-dried to obtain a second paint coating.

[0088] S4. The first paint layer and the second paint layer are pre-baked and then cooled to obtain a paint film;

[0089] This method relates to the preparation method of the above-mentioned colored paint film. The specific composition of the colored paint film can be referred to the above embodiments. Since this method adopts some or all of the technical solutions of the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0090] It should be noted that this method can be carried out with the assistance of a robot. In addition, electrostatic spraying and air spraying of the paint film can use an electrostatic rotary cup atomizer. The spraying speed of the electrostatic rotary cup atomizer can be ≥50Krpm, and the diameter of the rotary cup used in the electrostatic rotary cup atomizer is 65mm~80mm.

[0091] It should be noted that the solid content of the paint film can be 10% to 20% to ensure that the silver coin-shaped aluminum powder is arranged tightly and evenly in the paint film; in addition, the pigment-to-binder ratio of the paint film can be 15 PHR to 30 PHR to promote a more even arrangement of aluminum powder under the condition of normal pigment hiding power.

[0092] In some optional embodiments, the flash-drying temperature is 23°C to 30°C, and the flash-drying time is 1.5 min to 2.5 min;

[0093] In these embodiments, the flash-drying temperature can be 23°C to 30°C, and the flash-drying time can be 1.5 min to 2.5 min, which can promote the paint slurry to dry and form fully, so as to obtain a first paint coating and a second paint coating of sufficient thickness.

[0094] The flash-drying temperature can be 23℃, 24℃, 25℃ or 26℃.

[0095] The flash drying time can be 1.5 min, 1.6 min, 1.7 min, 1.8 min, 1.9 min, 2.0 min, 2.1 min, 2.2 min, 2.3 min, 2.4 min, or 2.5 min.

[0096] In some optional embodiments, the leveling time is 2.5 min to 3.5 min;

[0097] In these embodiments, the leveling time can be 2.5 min to 3.5 min. The paint slurry can be spread evenly on the surface of the intermediate coating or the first paint coating under the premise of air spraying, so as to promote the uniform distribution of the various components of the paint film, thereby obtaining a first paint coating and a second paint coating with uniform thickness.

[0098] The leveling time can be 2.5 min, 2.6 min, 2.7 min, 2.8 min, 2.9 min, 3.0 min, 3.1 min, 3.2 min, 3.3 min, 3.4 min, or 3.5 min.

[0099] In some optional embodiments, the pre-baking temperature is 60°C to 80°C, and the pre-baking time is 6 min to 10 min;

[0100] In these embodiments, the pre-baking temperature can be 60°C to 80°C, and the pre-baking time can be 6 min to 10 min. The pre-baking method can reduce the dehydration rate of the coarse paint film to ≥85%, thereby promoting the formation of a paint film with a low water content.

[0101] Based on a general inventive concept, embodiments of this application provide a coating structure with a liquid metal effect. The coating structure includes: an electrophoretic coating, a water-based intermediate coating, a clear coat coating, and a color paint film. The clear coat coating is disposed on one side of the color paint film, the water-based intermediate coating coating is disposed on the side of the color paint film away from the clear coat coating, and the electrophoretic coating coating is disposed on the side of the water-based intermediate coating coating away from the color paint film.

[0102] The coating structure is based on the above-mentioned paint film. The specific steps of the coating structure can be referred to the above embodiments. Since the coating structure adopts some or all of the technical solutions of the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0103] It should be noted that the appearance of the varnish coating meets the following requirements: when the varnish coating has a high-gloss varnish appearance, the sharpness index (DOI) is ≥85, the gloss (at a 20° viewing angle) is ≥85, the long wavelength (LW H) is ≤4, and the short wavelength (LW V) is ≤10; when the varnish coating has a matte powder varnish appearance, the sharpness index (DOI) is ≥85, the gloss (at a 20° viewing angle) is 20~60, the long wavelength (LW H) is ≤4, and the short wavelength (LW V) is ≤10.

[0104] In some optional embodiments, the thickness of the electrophoretic coating is 10 μm to 25 μm, the thickness of the water-based intermediate coating is 10 μm to 40 μm, the thickness of the color paint film is 5 μm to 8 μm, and the thickness of the clear varnish coating is 35 μm to 55 μm.

[0105] In these embodiments, the thickness of the electrophoretic coating can be 10 μm to 25 μm, the thickness of the water-based intermediate coating can be 10 μm to 40 μm, the thickness of the paint film can be 5 μm to 8 μm, and the thickness of the clear coat can be 35 μm to 55 μm, thereby forming a coating structure with good liquid metal effect under the condition of lower thickness.

[0106] The thickness of the electrophoretic coating can be 10μm, 11μm, 12μm, 13μm, 14μm, 15μm, 16μm, 17μm, 18μm, 19μm, 20μm, 21μm, 22μm, 23μm, 24μm or 25μm.

[0107] The thickness of the water-based intermediate coating can be 10μm, 20μm, 30μm or 40μm.

[0108] The thickness of the paint film can be 5μm, 6μm, 7μm or 8μm.

[0109] The thickness of the varnish coating can be 35μm, 40μm, 45μm, 50μm or 55μm.

[0110] It should be noted that the roughness Ra of this electrophoretic coating is ≤0.3μm.

[0111] Figure 3 An exemplary schematic diagram of a method for preparing a coating structure provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0112] Based on a general inventive concept, such as Figure 3 As shown in the embodiments of this application, a method for preparing the coating structure is provided, the method comprising:

[0113] S1. Perform pretreatment on the car body to obtain the car body base layer;

[0114] S2. Electrophoretic coating is applied to the vehicle body base layer, followed by baking, to form an electrophoretic coating on the surface of the vehicle body base layer;

[0115] S3. Apply the water-based intermediate coating system to the surface of the electrophoretic coating to form a water-based intermediate coating layer on the surface of the electrophoretic coating;

[0116] S4. A colored paint film is formed on the surface of the water-based intermediate coating layer according to the method described above;

[0117] S5. Apply a clear varnish coating to the surface of the colored paint film to form a clear varnish coating on the surface of the colored paint film, thereby obtaining a coating structure;

[0118] This method is for preparing the above-mentioned coating structure. The specific composition of the coating structure can be referred to in the above embodiments. Since this method adopts some or all of the technical solutions of the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0119] It should be noted that the pretreatment can be phosphating, silanizing, or zirconizing.

[0120] It should be noted that after the electrophoretic coating is completed, the base layer of the car body needs to be polished. The electrophoretic polishing process can be carried out with 200# to 600# sandpaper to improve the smoothness of the base layer of the car body and remove the burrs on the base layer of the car body, so as to facilitate the subsequent color paint film to fully bond with the base layer of the car body. In addition, polishing can also deal with small electrophoretic defects in the base layer of the car body.

[0121] It should be noted that the water-based intermediate coating system can be a water-based 3C2B system, a water-based 3WET 1PH system, or a water-based 3WET system. When the water-based intermediate coating system is a water-based 3C2B system, it can be converted into a water-based intermediate coating layer with a thickness of 20μm to 40μm by baking. The baking temperature can be 135℃ to 145℃, and the baking time can be 27min to 33min. When the water-based intermediate coating system is a water-based 3WET 1PH system, it can be converted into a water-based intermediate coating layer with a thickness of 10μm to 25μm by baking. The baking temperature can be 78℃ to 82℃, and the baking time can be 4min to 6min. When the water-based intermediate coating system is a water-based 3WET system, it can be converted into a water-based intermediate coating layer with a thickness of 10μm to 20μm by leveling. The leveling time can be 5min to 10min.

[0122] It should be noted that either 1K or 2K varnish can be used for this coating. After the coating is applied, the varnish can be baked to transform it into a varnish coating with a thickness of 35μm to 65μm. The baking temperature can be 140℃ and the baking time can be 15min to 30min.

[0123] The present application is further illustrated below with reference to specific embodiments. Experimental methods in the following embodiments that do not specify specific conditions are generally determined according to industry standards; if no corresponding industry standard exists, they are performed according to general international standards, conventional conditions, or conditions recommended by the manufacturer.

[0124] Example 1

[0125] like Figure 1 As shown, a paint film with a liquid metal effect, by weight, has the following raw materials: pigment: 15 parts, aluminum powder: 5 parts; composite resin: 30 parts, functional additives: 5.5 parts, organic solvent: 4 parts, and water: 41.5 parts.

[0126] The aluminum powder is shaped like a silver dollar, and the mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to aluminum powder is ≥0.5; the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is ≤10μm.

[0127] The composition of the aluminum powder may include, by weight, 4.5 parts of Toyo Aluminum 0014 and 0.5 parts of Toyo Aluminum 0023.

[0128] The pigment may be composed of the following components by weight: PBk-7 type high pigment ultra-transparent: 12 parts, PB-15:1 type ultra-transparent blue: 2.5 parts and PV-23 type ultra-transparent purple paste: 0.5 parts.

[0129] By weight, the composite resin comprises: 15 parts acrylic resin, 5 parts polyurethane resin, 6 parts polyester resin, and 4 parts amino resin.

[0130] The functional additives, by weight, consist of: wetting agent: 1.0 part, thickener: 1.5 part, dispersant: 1.0 part, defoamer: 1.0 part, amine: 0.2 part, catalyst: 0.3 part, and anti-aging additive: 0.5 part.

[0131] like Figure 2 As shown, a method for preparing a colored paint film includes:

[0132] S1. Mix pigments, aluminum powder, composite resin, functional additives, paint solvents and deionized water to obtain a paint paste;

[0133] S2. Apply the paint slurry to the intermediate coating using electrostatic spraying, and then level and flash-dry the paint coating on the surface of the intermediate coating to obtain the first paint coating.

[0134] S3. Apply the paint slurry to the surface of the first paint layer using an electrostatic rotary cup sprayer, and then level and flash-dry the paint coating on the surface of the first paint layer to obtain the second paint coating.

[0135] S4. The first and second paint layers are pre-baked and then cooled to obtain a paint film.

[0136] The flash-drying temperature was 24℃ and the flash-drying time was 2.0 min.

[0137] The leveling time is 3.0 min.

[0138] The pre-baking temperature is 70℃ and the pre-baking time is 8 minutes.

[0139] A coating structure with a liquid metal effect includes: an electrophoretic coating, a water-based intermediate coating, a clear coat, and a color film. The clear coat is disposed on one side of the color film, the water-based intermediate coating is disposed on the side of the color film away from the clear coat, and the electrophoretic coating is disposed on the side of the water-based intermediate coating away from the color film.

[0140] The thickness of the electrophoretic coating is 10μm to 25μm, the thickness of the water-based intermediate coating is 10μm to 40μm, the thickness of the color paint film is 5μm to 8μm, and the thickness of the clear varnish coating is 35μm to 55μm.

[0141] like Figure 3 As shown, a method for preparing a coating structure includes:

[0142] S1. Perform pretreatment on the car body to obtain the car body base layer;

[0143] S2. Electrophoretic coating is applied to the base layer of the vehicle body, followed by baking, to form an electrophoretic coating on the surface of the base layer of the vehicle body.

[0144] S3. Apply the water-based intermediate coating system to the surface of the electrophoretic coating to form a water-based intermediate coating layer on the surface of the electrophoretic coating;

[0145] S4. A colored paint film is formed on the surface of the water-based intermediate coating according to the method;

[0146] S5. Apply varnish coating to the surface of the paint film to form a varnish coating on the surface of the paint film, thereby obtaining a coating structure.

[0147] The pretreatment can be phosphating, silanizing, or zirconizing.

[0148] The water-based intermediate coating system is a water-based 3C2B system; the intermediate coating film thickness is 20μm~40μm, the baking temperature is 140℃, and the baking time is 30min.

[0149] The clear varnish used in this coating is 2K clear varnish; after coating, the clear varnish can be converted into a clear varnish coating with a thickness of 35μm to 65μm by baking; the baking temperature is 140℃ and the baking time is 20min.

[0150] Example 2

[0151] Based on the content disclosed in Example 1, the following modifications are made:

[0152] A colored paint film with a liquid metal effect, wherein the raw materials of the colored paint film, by weight, are: pigment: 5 parts, aluminum powder: 2 parts; composite resin: 19 parts, functional additives: 1.4 parts, organic solvent: 1 part, and water: 51.6 parts.

[0153] The aluminum powder is shaped like a silver dollar, and the mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to aluminum powder is ≥0.5; the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is ≤10μm.

[0154] The composition of the aluminum powder may include, by weight, 2 parts of Toyo Aluminum 0014.

[0155] The composition of the pigment may include, by weight parts: 2 parts of PBk-7 type high pigment ultra-transparent, 3 parts of PB-15:1 type ultra-transparent blue, and 0 parts of PV-23 type ultra-transparent purple paste.

[0156] By weight, the composite resin comprises: 10 parts acrylic resin, 3 parts polyurethane resin, 5 parts polyester resin, and 1 part amino resin.

[0157] The functional additives, by weight, consist of: wetting agent: 0.2 parts, thickener: 0.5 parts, dispersant: 0.2 parts, defoamer: 0.2 parts, amine: 0.1 parts, catalyst: 0.1 parts, and anti-aging additive: 0.1 parts.

[0158] Example 3

[0159] Based on the content disclosed in Example 1, the following modifications are made:

[0160] A colored paint film with a liquid metal effect, wherein the raw materials of the colored paint film, by weight, are: pigment: 19 parts, aluminum powder: 7 parts; composite resin: 43 parts, functional additives: 10.5 parts, organic solvent: 1.5 parts, and water: 40 parts.

[0161] The aluminum powder is shaped like a silver dollar, and the mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to aluminum powder is ≥0.5; the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is ≤10μm.

[0162] The composition of the aluminum powder may include, by weight, 6 parts of Toyo Aluminum 0014 and 1 part of Toyo Aluminum 0023.

[0163] The pigment may be composed of the following components by weight: 15 parts of PBk-7 type high pigment ultra-transparent pigment, 3 parts of PB-15:1 type ultra-transparent blue pigment, and 1 part of PV-23 type ultra-transparent purple pigment.

[0164] By weight, the composite resins include: acrylic resin: 20 parts, polyurethane resin: 8 parts, polyester resin: 10 parts, and amino resin: 5 parts.

[0165] The functional additives, by weight, consist of: wetting agent: 2 parts, thickener: 3 parts, dispersant: 2 parts, defoamer: 2 parts, amine: 0.5 parts, catalyst: 0.5 parts, and anti-aging additive: 0.5 parts.

[0166] Example 4

[0167] Based on the content disclosed in Example 1, the following modifications are made:

[0168] The flash-drying temperature was 30℃ and the flash-drying time was 1.5 min.

[0169] The leveling time is 2.5 minutes.

[0170] The pre-baking temperature is 60℃ and the pre-baking time is 10 minutes.

[0171] Example 5

[0172] Based on the content disclosed in Example 1, the following modifications are made:

[0173] The flash-drying temperature was 26℃ and the flash-drying time was 2.5 min.

[0174] The leveling time is 3.5 minutes.

[0175] The pre-baking temperature is 80℃ and the pre-baking time is 10 minutes.

[0176] Comparative Example 1

[0177] Based on the content disclosed in Example 1, the following modifications are made:

[0178] Instead of using coin-shaped aluminum powder, granular aluminum powder is used directly.

[0179] Comparative Example 2

[0180] Based on the content disclosed in Example 1, the following modifications are made:

[0181] Use corn flake-type aluminum powder instead of silver dollar-type aluminum powder.

[0182] Comparative Example 3

[0183] Based on the content disclosed in Example 1, the following modifications are made:

[0184] The aluminum powder is in parts by weight of 10.

[0185] Comparative Example 4

[0186] Based on the content disclosed in Example 1, the following modifications are made:

[0187] The mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to aluminum powder in the aluminum powder is 0.2; the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is ≤10μm.

[0188] Relevant experimental and effect data:

[0189] The metallic paint effect of the paint film products obtained in each embodiment and comparative example was statistically analyzed. In addition, the solid content, pigment-to-binder ratio and other parameters of each paint film were statistically analyzed. The average value of three measurements was taken, and the results are shown in Table 1.

[0190] Table 1. Metallic paint effect, solids content, and pigment-to-binder ratio parameters for each color paint film.

[0191]

[0192]

[0193] As shown in Table 1, the paint film with a liquid metal effect provided in this application embodiment generally controls the weight fraction of pigment to be 0 to 20 parts, and the mass fraction of aluminum powder to be 2 to 7 parts. This promotes thorough mixing between the pigment and aluminum powder, resulting in a better liquid metal effect in the paint film. In addition, the aluminum powder can be in the shape of a silver dollar. The mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to aluminum powder is generally ≥0.5, and the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is generally ≤10μm. This promotes the uniform arrangement of small aluminum powder particles, thereby improving the shimmering effect of the paint film while reducing the graininess, thus enhancing the liquid metal effect of the paint film and giving it the characteristic of "high brightness when viewed from the front and low brightness when viewed from the side".

[0194] In addition, the coating structure with liquid metal effect provided in this application embodiment can not only effectively meet the performance and workability requirements of automotive coatings based on the good liquid metal effect of the paint film, but also reduce the thickness of traditional paint films, thereby reducing the overall manufacturing cost of the vehicle body.

[0195] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed in this application.

Claims

1. A colored paint film with a liquid metal effect, characterized in that, The raw materials of the paint film, by weight, consist of the following components: pigment: 5 to 20 parts, aluminum powder: 2 to 7 parts, composite resin: 15 to 45 parts, functional additives: 1.4 to 10.5 parts, organic solvent: 1 to 5 parts, and deionized water: 40 to 60 parts. The aluminum powder is shaped like a silver dollar, and the mass ratio of fine-particle aluminum powder to the total aluminum powder is ≥0.5; the particle size of the fine-particle aluminum powder is ≤10μm.

2. The paint film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The composite resin includes at least one of the following: Acrylic resins, polyurethane resins, polyester resins, and amino resins.

3. The paint film according to claim 2, characterized in that, The composite resin comprises, by weight parts: 10 to 20 parts acrylic resin, 3 to 8 parts polyurethane resin, 5 to 10 parts polyester resin, and 1 to 5 parts amino resin.

4. The paint film according to claim 1, characterized in that, The functional additives include at least one of the following: Wetting agents, thickeners, dispersants, defoamers, amines, catalysts, and anti-aging additives.

5. The paint film according to claim 4, characterized in that, The functional additives, by weight, comprise the following components: wetting agent: 0.2 to 2 parts; thickener: 0.5 to 3 parts; dispersant: 0.2 to 2 parts; defoamer: 0.2 to 2 parts; amine: 0.1 to 0.5 parts; catalyst: 0.1 to 0.5 parts; and anti-aging additive: 0.1 to 0.5 parts.

6. A method for preparing a colored paint film as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method includes: Pigments, aluminum powder, composite resin, functional additives, organic solvents and deionized water are mixed to obtain colored paint coatings; The colored paint is sprayed onto the intermediate coating using an electrostatic rotary cup sprayer, and then the colored paint on the surface of the intermediate coating is leveled and flash-dried to obtain the first colored paint layer. The colored paint is sprayed onto the first colored paint layer using an electrostatic rotary cup sprayer, and then the colored paint on the surface of the first colored paint layer is leveled and flash-dried to obtain the second colored paint coating. The first paint layer and the second paint coating are pre-baked and then cooled to obtain a paint film.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The flash-drying temperature is 23℃~30℃, and the flash-drying time is 1.5min~2.5min.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The leveling time is 2.5 min to 3.5 min.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The pre-baking temperature is 60℃~80℃, and the pre-baking time is 6min~10min.

10. A coating structure with a liquid metal effect, characterized in that, The coating structure includes: an electrophoretic coating, a water-based intermediate coating, a clear coat coating, and a colored paint film as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the clear coat coating is disposed on one side of the colored paint film, the water-based intermediate coating coating is disposed on the side of the colored paint film away from the clear coat coating, and the electrophoretic coating coating is disposed on the side of the water-based intermediate coating coating away from the colored paint film.

11. The coating structure according to claim 10, characterized in that, The thickness of the electrophoretic coating is 10μm to 25μm, the thickness of the water-based intermediate coating is 10μm to 40μm, the thickness of the color paint film is 3μm to 8μm, and the thickness of the clear varnish coating is 35μm to 65μm.

12. A method for preparing the coating structure as described in claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The method includes: The car body undergoes pretreatment to obtain the car body base layer; Electrophoretic coating is applied to the vehicle body base layer, followed by baking, to form an electrophoretic coating on the surface of the vehicle body base layer; The aqueous intermediate coating system is applied to the surface of the electrophoretic coating to form an aqueous intermediate coating layer on the surface of the electrophoretic coating. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9 forms a colored paint film on the surface of the water-based intermediate coating layer; A varnish coating is applied to the surface of the colored paint film to form a varnish coating on the surface of the colored paint film, resulting in a coating structure.

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