One component protective coatings

Abstract

One component protective coating compositions particularly useful for coating batteries and vehicles are disclosed as are methods of using the same and batteries and vehicles comprising the same.

Description

ONE COMPONENT PROTECTIVE COATINGS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 559,374 filed February 29, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure is directed to a one component protective coating composition, to a method for using the coating composition to coat a substrate, and to substrates, including batteries and vehicles, comprising such coated substrates. BACKGROUND

[0003] Protective coatings have been used for a variety of structural applications to protect against both cellulosic and hydrocarbon fires. Such coatings may be intumescent coatings, which offer protection by forming a carbonaceous char upon exposure to intense heat. The char that forms in a fire provides protection when the char expands and adheres to the substrate and / or when the char forms at a thickness such that direct flame blow will not undermine the char integrity, such as by leaving cracks on the char. Other protective coatings may be non-intumescent, and offer protection through fire resistance, thermal insulation, and the like. Numerous substrates may benefit from such coatings, including structural building components used, for example, in commercial and transportation infrastructures like hotels, airports, concert halls or offshore sites, chemical plants, oil rigs, and the like, that would be exposed to extreme heat in the case of fire. Batteries, such as lithium ion batteries, may also be exposed to such intense heat; batteries and particularly lithium ion batteries are vulnerable to thermal runaways during which heat and gas are rapidly discharged from a battery and a fire hazard is created. Improved protection from this heat is desired in vehicles containing such batteries. SUMMARY

[0004] The present disclosure is directed to a one component protective coating composition comprising a film forming component comprising an epoxy resin and a latent curing agent, and a phosphate source. Methods for using such coating compositions and batteries and vehicles comprising coating layers deposited from such compositions are also disclosed.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0005] The present disclosure is directed to a one component protective coating composition comprising a) a film-forming component comprising an epoxy resin and a latent curing agent and b) a phosphate source. The coating composition can further comprise a catalyst and / or a gas source. The present coating may be described herein in terms of a coating composition, which will be understood as referring to an uncured or unhardened mixture of coating components. The coating composition can be deposited and cured to form a coating or coating layer (used interchangeably herein) or can be formed into a self-supporting film and / or sheet. “Cure”, “harden” and like terms may be used inter-changeably herein and refer to the ability of at least a portion of the polymerizable and / or crosslinkable components to undergo a reaction.

[0006] The present protective coating compositions can be used to form intumescent or non-intumescent protective coatings. “Protective coating” and like terms as used herein refer to a coating that passes the following thermal runaway test: the coating is applied to one side of a 150 x 75 x 1.2 mm aluminum panel with airless spray application and cured to a dry film thickness (“DFT”) of 600 micron to 1 mm. The coated side of the coated panels is tested against 1200±50oC torch fire for 5 minutes. If, after five minutes exposure to the flame, the uncoated surface on the opposite side of the aluminum panel is at a temperature of 350oC or lower, the coating is a protective coating within the scope of the present disclosure. Maintaining the uncoated surface below this temperature demonstrates the thermally insulating properties of a coating. This test is intended to mimic a thermal runaway event in a battery and is therefore referred to herein as the “Thermal Runaway Test”.

[0007] The coating compositions comprise a film-forming component. “Film-forming” means that the composition, upon hardening and / or curing, can form a continuous film on a surface. A film-forming component may include, for example, a film-forming resin and a crosslinker therefore. Film-forming resin, film former, and base may all be used interchangeably herein. Crosslinker, curing agent and hardener may all be used interchangeably herein. According to the present disclosure, the film-forming resin comprises an epoxy resin and the curing agent comprises a latent curing agent.

[0008] Suitable epoxy resins for use in the present disclosure comprise at least one polyepoxide. The polyepoxide typically has more than one 1,2-epoxy group. The epoxyequivalent weight of the polyepoxide may range from 80 to 6000 g / eq, such as 100 to 700 g / eq. Epoxy compounds can be saturated or unsaturated, cyclic, aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic. They may comprise substituent(s), such as halogen, hydroxy, and ether groups.

[0009] Examples of suitable polyepoxides are those having more than one, usually two, 1,2-epoxy equivalents; i.e., polyepoxides having two epoxy groups per molecule on average. The most commonly used polyepoxides are, for example, polyglycidyl ethers of polyphenols, such as 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A), resorcinol, hydroquinone, benzenedimethanol, phloroglucinol, bisphenol F, and catechol; or polyglycidyl ether of polyols, such as alicyclic polyols, such as 1,2-cyclohexane diol, 1,4-cyclohexane diol, 2,2-bis(4- hydroxycyclohexyl)propane, 1,1-bis(4-hydroxycyclohexyl)ethane, 2-methyl-1,1-bis(4- hydroxycyclohexyl)propane, 2,2-bis(4- hydroxy-3-tert-butylcyclohexyl)propane, 1,3- bis(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexane and 1,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexane. The examples of aliphatic polyols include, in particular, trihydroxymethylpentane diol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,4-butyleneglycol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,2,6- hexanetriol, cyclohexanedimethanol, glycerol, trimethylolpropane, hydrogenated bisphenol A, hydrogenated bisphenol F or polyether glycols, for example, poly(oxytetramethylene) glycol, poly(oxyethylene) glycol, poly(oxypropylene) glycol, and neopentane diol.

[0010] Another group of suitable epoxy resins include polyglycidyl ethers of polycarboxylic acids, formed by the reaction of an epoxy compound such as epichlorohydrin with an aliphatic or aromatic polycarboxylic acid such as oxalic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, terephthalic acid, 2,6-napthalene dicarboxylic acid, or dimerised linoleic acid. Such resins are commercially available from Hexion Inc. in their EPIKOTE and EPON lines.

[0011] Other suitable epoxy resins that can be used according to the present disclosure comprise epoxidized olefinically unsaturated alicyclic materials such as epoxy alicyclic ethers and esters, epoxy resins containing oxyalkylene groups, and epoxy novolac resins, which are prepared by reacting an epihalohydrin with the condensation product of an aldehyde with a monohydric or polyhydric phenol such as epoxy phenol novolac resins or epoxy cresol novolac resins.

[0012] Furthermore, it can be advantageous according to the present disclosure to employ a flexible polyepoxide. Exemplary of suitable materials are epoxidized soybean oil, dimer acid- based materials such as EMPOL 1010 resin, which is commercially available from BASF SE,Ludwigshafen, Germany, and rubber-modified polyepoxide resins such as the product prepared from a polyglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and an acid-functional polybutadiene.

[0013] Other suitable examples of flexible polyepoxides for use according to the present disclosure include an epoxy-functional adduct prepared from a flexible acid-functional polyester and polyepoxide. The acid-functional polyester can have an acid value of at least 10 mg KOH / g, such as 140 to 350 mg KOH / or 180 to 260 mg KOH / g, as determined by ASTM 974-87.

[0014] Linear polyesters may be more suitable than branched polyesters for use herein. Acid-functional polyesters can be prepared by the polyesterification of an organic polycarboxylic acid or anhydride thereof with an organic polyol. The polycarboxylic acids and polyols can be aliphatic or aromatic dibasic acids and diols.

[0015] The diols that may be used in making the polyester include alkylene glycols, such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, and other diols such as hydrogenated bisphenol A, cyclohexanediol, cyclohexanedimethanol, caprolactonediol, for example, the reaction product of epsilon-caprolactone and ethylene glycol, hydroxy-alkylated bisphenols, polyether glycols, for example, poly(oxytetramethylene) glycol, poly(oxyethylene) glycol, poly(oxypropylene) glycol and the like. Polyols of higher functionality can also be used although diols may be more suitable. Examples include trimethylolpropane, trimethylolethane, pentaerythritol, glycerol, isosorbide, tetramethyl cyclobutane diol and the like, as well as higher molecular weight polyols such as those produced by oxyalkylating lower molecular weight polyols.

[0016] The acid component of the polyester may comprise monomeric dicarboxylic acids or anhydrides having 2 to 36 carbon atoms per molecule. Suitable acids include, for example, phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, tetrahydrophthalic acid, hexahydrophthalic acid, adipic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, maleic acid, glutaric acid, chlorendic acid, tetrachlorophthalic acid, tetrabromophthalic acid, decanedioic acid, dodecanedioic acid, rosin acids, diphenolic acid, gallic acid, and other dicarboxylic acids of varying types, for example, Diels-Alder adducts of unsaturated C18fatty acids.

[0017] The polyester may include monobasic acids such as benzoic acid, stearic acid, acetic acid, hydroxystearic acid, and oleic acid. Also, there may be employed higher polycarboxylic acids such as trimellitic acid. If monobasic acids or higher polycarboxylic acids (which here means greater than two acid groups) are used, they are used in amounts less than theamount of dicarboxylic acid, such as 20 wt.% or less, or 10 wt.% or less, with weight percent based on the total weight of the acids. Where acids are referred to above, it is understood that anhydrides of those acids that form anhydrides can be used in place of the acid. Also, lower alkyl (C1-C4) esters of the acids such as dimethyl glutarate and dimethyl terephthalate can be used.

[0018] According to the present disclosure, a polyester used to make the epoxy- functional adduct may be prepared from a polycarboxylic acid component comprising a polycarboxylic acid or mixture of acids having from 7 to 16 carbon atoms and a polyol component comprising diethylene glycol.

[0019] The polyepoxides that may be used to prepare the epoxy-functional adduct of flexible acid-functional polyester and polyepoxide can be any of those as described above for the polyepoxide-functional component according to the present disclosure.

[0020] Other suitable polyepoxy-functional compounds are epoxy-functional acrylic resins. Such resins can be prepared by free-radical addition polymerization of (meth)acrylic monomers, optionally in combination with vinyl monomers or other monomers comprising at least one carbon-carbon double bond, wherein the monomer composition comprises at least one epoxy-functional compound having at least one carbon-carbon double bond.

[0021] Suitable epoxy-functional ethylenically unsaturated monomers include, for example, glycidyl (meth)acrylate, allyl glycidylether, vinyl glycidylether, vinyl cyclohexene oxide, limonene oxide, 2-ethylglycidylacrylate, 2-ethylglycidylmethacrylate, 2-(n- propyl)glycidylacrylate, 2-(n-propyl)glycidylmethacrylate, 2-(n-butyl)glycidylacrylate, 2-(n- butyl)glycidylmethacrylate, glycidylmethylmethacrylate, glycidylacrylate, (3',4'-epoxyheptyl)-2- ethylacrylate, (3',4'-epoxyheptyl)-2-ethylmethacrylate, (6',7'-epoxyheptyl)acrylate, (6',7'- epoxyheptyl)methacrylate, allyl-3,4-epoxyheptylether, 6,7-epoxyheptylallylether, vinyl-3,4- epoxyheptylether, 3,4-epoxyheptylvinylether, 6,7-epoxyheptylvinylether, o- vinylbenzylglycidylether, m-vinylbenzylglycidylether, p-vinylbenzylglycidylether, 3-vinyl cyclohexene oxide, alpha-methyl glycidyl methacrylate, 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl (meth)acrylate and combinations thereof.

[0022] Suitable additional monomers for the preparation of the epoxy-functional acrylic resin include, for example, ethylenically unsaturated nitrile compounds; vinyl aromatic monomers; alkyl esters of ethylenically unsaturated acids; hydroxyalkyl esters of ethylenicallyunsaturated acids; amides of ethylenically unsaturated acids; ethylenically unsaturated acids; ethylenically unsaturated sulfonic acid monomers and / or ethylenically unsaturated phosphorous- containing acid monomers; vinyl carboxylates; conjugated dienes; monomers having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups; and combinations thereof.

[0023] Examples of ethylenically unsaturated nitrile monomers that can be used for the preparation of the epoxy-functional acrylic resin include polymerizable unsaturated aliphatic nitrile monomers that contain from 2 to 4 carbon atoms in a linear or branched arrangement, which may be substituted either by acetyl or additional nitrile groups. Such nitrile monomers include acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, alpha-cyanoethyl acrylonitrile, fumaronitrile and combinations thereof, with acrylonitrile being particularly suitable.

[0024] Representative suitable vinyl-aromatic monomers include, for example, styrene, α-methylstyrene, p-methylstyrene, t-butylstyrene, and vinyltoluene.

[0025] Esters of (meth)acrylic acid that can be used for the preparation of the epoxy- functional acrylic resin include n-alkyl esters, iso-alkyl esters or tert-alkyl esters of acrylic or (meth)acrylic acid in which the alkyl group has from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, the reaction product of methacrylic acid with glycidyl ester of a neoacid such as versatic acid, neodecanoic acid or pivalic acid and hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate and alkoxyalkyl (meth)acrylate monomers.

[0026] Suitable alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acids may include, for example, C1-C20alkyl (meth)acrylate, such as C1-C10-alkyl (meth)acrylates. Examples of such acrylate monomers include n-butyl acrylate, secondary butyl acrylate, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, tert-butyl acrylate, 2-ethyl-hexyl acrylate, isooctyl acrylate, 4-methyl-2-pentyl acrylate, 2- methylbutyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate and cetyl methacrylate. Esters of (meth)acrylic acids, such as methyl (meth)acrylate, ethyl (meth)acrylate, propyl (meth)acrylate, butyl (meth)acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylate and combinations thereof, are particularly suitable.

[0027] The hydroxy alkyl(meth)acrylate monomers that can be used for the preparation of the epoxy-functional acrylic resin include, for example, hydroxyalkyl acrylate and methacrylate monomers based on ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and higher alkylene oxides or mixtures thereof. Examples are hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxyethylmethacrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate and hydroxybutyl acrylate. Particularly suitable is 2- hydroxy ethyl (meth)acrylate.

[0028] Amides of ethylenically unsaturated acids that can be used for the preparation of the epoxy-functional acrylic resin include, for example, acrylamide, methacrylamide, and diacetone acrylamide.

[0029] Vinyl ester monomers that can be used to prepare the epoxy-functional acrylic resin include vinyl acetate, vinyl proprionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl benzoate, vinyl-2- ethylhexanoate, vinyl stearate, and the vinyl esters of versatic acid.

[0030] The ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomers suitable for the preparation of the epoxy-functional acrylic resin include, for example, monocarboxylic acid and dicarboxylic acid monomers and monoesters of dicarboxylic acid. Particularly suitable are ethylenically unsaturated aliphatic mono- or dicarboxylic acids or anhydrides that contain from 3 to 5 carbon atoms. Examples of monocarboxylic acid monomers include acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid and examples of dicarboxylic acid monomers include fumaric acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid and maleic anhydride. Examples of other suitable ethylenically unsaturated acids include vinyl acetic acid, vinyl lactic acid, vinyl sulfonic acid, 2-methyl-2- propene-1-sulfonic acid, styrene sulfonic acid, acrylamidomethyl propane sulfonic acid and the salts thereof. Suitable ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomers include (meth)acrylic acid, crotonic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid and combinations thereof.

[0031] Conjugated diene monomers suitable for the preparation of the epoxy-functional acrylic resin include conjugated diene monomers, such as 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, 2,3-dimethyl- 1,3-butadiene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,2-butadiene, 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene, 1,3-pentadiene, 1,3- hexadiene, 2,4-hexadiene, 1,3-octadiene, 2-methyl-1,3-pentadiene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-pentadiene, 3,4-dimethyl-1,3-hexadiene, 2,3-diethyl-1,3-butadiene, 4,5-diethyl-1,3-octadiene, 3-butyl-1,3- octadiene, 3,7-dimethyl-1,3,6-octatriene, 2-methyl-6-methylene-1,7-octadiene, 7-methyl-3- methylene-1,6-octadiene, 1,3,7-octatriene, 2-ethyl-1,3-butadiene, 2-amyl-1,3-butadiene, 3, 7- dimethyl-1,3,7-octatriene, 3,7-dimethyl-1,3,6-octatriene, 3,7,11-trimethyl-1,3,6,10- dodecatetraene, 7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-1,6,10-dodecatriene, 2,6-dimethyl-2,4,6-octatriene, 2-phenyl-1,3-butadiene and 2-methyl-3-isopropyl-1,3-butadiene and 1,3-cyclohexadiene and combinations thereof.

[0032] It is also possible to use a combination of two or more, such as three or more or four or more, different polyepoxy-functional compounds in the film-forming component such as any of those disclosed above.

[0033] Suitable polyepoxy-functional compounds used according to the present disclosure may include, for example, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F, resorcinol diglycidyl ether, epoxy phenol novolac resins, epoxy cresol novolac resins, epoxy functional (poly)magnesiums, epoxy functional polysulfides, epoxy-functional adducts of acid-functional polyesters and polyepoxides, for example, those that are described above.

[0034] According to the present disclosure, the film-forming component can include combinations of epoxy resins and acrylic resins or epoxy resins and polyurethane resins, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,108,832.

[0035] As noted above, the film-forming component comprises a latent curing agent. A “latent curing agent”, sometimes referred to as a blocked curing agent, is a curing agent wherein the actual functional group that is reactive with the functional groups of the film-forming resin is generated or restored in a deblocking reaction at curing conditions such as elevated temperatures. Latent curing agents that, upon deblocking, crosslink with epoxy functionality can be used according to the present disclosure. Particularly suitable curing agents include dicyandiamide and / or a dihydrazide, such as adipic dihydrazide.

[0036] In the coating compositions of the present disclosure, the equivalent ratio of the combined functional groups in the film-forming resin, i.e. the epoxy groups, to the functional groups in the curing agent may be from 2:1 to 1:2, such as from 1.05:1.0 to 1:2, or from 1:1.4 to 1:2.

[0037] The coating composition may comprise the film-forming component in any suitable amount. For example, the coating composition may contain 10 wt.% or greater of the film-forming component, such as 20 wt.% or greater, such as 30 wt.% or greater or 40 wt.% or greater. The coating composition may for example contain 50 wt.% or less of the film-forming component, such as 40 wt.% or less or 20 wt.% or less. The coating composition may comprise the film-forming component in an amount in a range of any of the above-mentioned values such as from 10 wt.% to 50 wt.%, from 10 wt.% to 40 wt.% or from 20 wt.% to 50 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0038] The coating compositions of the present disclosure further comprise a phosphate source. “Phosphate source” as used herein means any phosphorus-containing material that comprises phosphoric acid or condensation or dehydration products (including oxides) thereof, or salts, esters, amides or other derivatives of any of the foregoing. The phosphate source can comprise a variety of materials, such as, phosphoric acid, mono- and diammonium phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, tris-(2-chloroethyl)phosphate, tri(2-chloroisopropyl)phosphate, phosphorus- containing amides such as phosphorylamide, and melamine pyrophosphate. Suitably, the source of phosphorous is an ammonium polyphosphate, coated or uncoated, represented by the formula (NH4)n+2 PnO3n+1, wherein n is an integer of at least 2, suitably n is an integer of at least 50. The composition of the present disclosure may contain the phosphate source in an amount of 5 wt.% or greater, such as, for example, 20 wt.% or greater, 25 wt.% or greater, 30 wt.% or greater, 35 wt.% or greater, or 40 wt.% or greater. The coating composition may comprise the phosphate source in an amount of 55 wt.% or less, such as 50 wt.% or less, 45 wt.% or less, 40 wt.% or less, or 35 wt.% or less. The coating composition may comprise the phosphate source in a range of any of the above values such as from 20 to 55 wt.%, for example, from 25 to 40 wt.%, or from 35 to 45 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0039] The present coatings may also comprise a catalyst. If present, the catalyst may be latent, such as a blocked and / or an encapsulated catalyst. Suitable catalysts include amine-based catalysts, such as a guanidine, a substituted guanidine, a substituted urea, a melamine resin, a guanamine derivative, a cyclic tertiary amine, an aromatic tertiary amine, or combinations thereof. It will be understood that “guanidine,” as used herein, refers both to guanidine and derivatives thereof, some of which are listed below. Suitable catalysts include trimethylamine; tributylamine; N,N-bis(N,N-dimethyl-2-aminoethyl)methylamine; N,N- dimethylcyclohexylamine; N-methylmorpholine; N-ethylmorpholine; 1,2-dimethyl-1,4,5,6- tetrahydropyrimidine; 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine; 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene; 1,5,7- triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene; 7-methyl-1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene; 1,5- diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene; 6-(dibutylamino)-1,8-diazabicyclo(5,4,0)undec-7-ene; 1,4- diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane; 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane; N, N-dimethylphenylamine; 4,5-dihydro- 1H-imidazole; and guanidine-based catalysts such as guanidine, methylguanidine, dimethylguanidine, trimethylguanidine, tetramethylguanidine, pentamethylguanidine,methylisobiguanidine, dimethylisobiguanidine, tetramethylisobiguanidine, hexamethylisobiguanidine, heptamethylisobiguanidine, phenylguanidine, diphenylguanidine, butylbiguanide, 1-o-tolylbiguanide, 1-phenylbiguanide, 1-methyl-3-nitroguanidine, 1,8- bis(tetramethylguanidino)-naphthalene, and N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-N''-[4- morpholinyl(phenylimino)methyl]guanidine, and cyanoguanidine. Representatives of suitable guanamine derivatives include alkylated benzoguanamine resins, benzoguanamine resins or methoxymethylethoxymethylbenzoguanamine. Suitable catalysts further include azoles, diazoles, triazoles, higher functional azoles, pyrrolidine, tropane, pyrrolizidine, piperidine, quinolizidine, indolizidine, pyridine, isoquinoline, oxazole, isoxazole, thiazole, quinazoline, acridine, quinoline, indole, imidazole, purine, phenethylamine, muscarine, benzylamines, derivatives of these alkaloid compounds, or combinations thereof, e.g., the catalyst may comprise a guanidine, a guanidine derivative and / or an imidazole. Other suitable catalysts include ammonium salts, phosphines and / or phosphonium salts. If present, the coating composition may, for example, contain 0.1 wt.% or greater of the catalyst, such as 0.5 wt.% or greater or 1 wt.% or greater. If present, the coating composition may, for example, contain 5 wt.% or less of the catalyst, such as 3 wt.% or less or 2 wt.% or less. The coating composition may, for example, comprise the catalyst in an amount in a range of any of the above-mentioned values such as from 0.1 wt.% to 5 wt.%, from 0.5 wt.% to 3 wt.% or from 1 wt.% to 2 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0040] The present coatings may be intumescent or non-intumescent. If intumescent, the coating composition may further comprise a gas source. A “gas source” refers to a compound providing an expansion gas upon thermal decomposition. The expansion gas serves to cause the protective composition to foam and swell when exposed to high temperature or flames. As a result of this expansion, the char that is formed is a thick, multicelled material that serves to insulate and protect the underlying substrate. Any suitable source of expansion gas may be used to cause intumescence in the coating layer deposited from the compositions of the present disclosure, such as a nitrogen-containing material. Examples of suitable nitrogen-containing materials include melamine, salts of phosphoric acid, guanidine, methylolated melamine, hexamethoxymethyl melamine, urea, dimethylurea, melamine pyrophosphate, dicyandiamide, guanylurea phosphate and glycine. “Melamine” as used herein refers to both melamine and melamine derivatives, several of which are named above, and generally refers to a componentthat contains one or more melamine moieties that will decompose at high temperatures, generally at least 200°C, to form inert gas. Other conventional sources of expansion gas can also be used such as those materials that liberate carbon dioxide. Examples are alkaline earth metals such as calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate. Compounds that release water vapor as they decompose upon heating, for example calcium hydroxide, magnesium dihydroxide or aluminum trihydroxide, may also be used, as can expandable graphite. Other examples of such compounds are borate sources, such as boric acid and boric acid derivatives such as boric acid esters and metal borates. Certain latent catalysts used according to the present disclosure, such as those listed above, can also provide a gas source. The gas source, such as melamine, may be used in the protective compositions of the present disclosure in an amount of 1 wt.% or greater, such as 2 wt.% or greater, or 3 wt.% or greater. The compositions according to the present disclosure can comprise the gas source for example in an amount of 10 wt.% or less, or 8 wt.% or less, or 7 wt.% or less, or 5 wt.% or less. The composition may comprise the gas source in an amount in a range of any of the above-mentioned values such as from 1 to 10 wt.%, such as 3 to 7 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0041] A “non-intumescent” coating or protective coating according to the present disclosure means that the coatings undergo expansion of no more than 5 times their dry film thickness upon exposure to the thermal output of the Thermal Runaway Test, such as below 3 times or below 1 time expansion. This expansion is significantly less than intumescent coatings, which may expand by 10 times or more, such as 15 times or more, or 20 times or more of their dry film thickness.

[0042] The coating compositions of the present disclosure may further comprise one or more additional additives, including a borate source, an aluminum source, a silica source, a zinc source, an acid source and / or reinforcing filler. “Borate source” as used herein means any boron-containing material that contains boric acid, or condensation or dehydration products (including oxides) thereof, or salts or esters of any of the foregoing. Suitable borate sources include, for example, ammonium pentaborate, boric acid, metal borates such as zinc borate, boron oxide, borates such as sodium borate, potassium borate, and ammonium borate, borate esters such as butyl borates or phenyl borates, and combinations thereof. “Aluminum source” as used herein means any aluminum-containing material. The aluminum source may be an aluminum compound, in particular an inorganic aluminum compound. Suitable aluminumsources include, for example, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxide (alumina), aluminum chloride, aluminum salts, and combinations thereof. For instance, the aluminum source can comprise aluminum hydroxide and / or aluminum oxide. “Silica source”, as used herein, means any silicon-containing material which contains polysiloxane, silane, silicic acid, condensation or dehydration products (including oxides) thereof or salts or esters of any of the foregoing. Suitable silica sources include, for example, fumed silica or quartz, such as those having a particle size below 150 μm, or a substance that contains silica such as bentone or kaolin.

[0043] The borate source, if used, may be used in an amount of 5 wt.% or greater, such as 6 wt.% or greater, such as 7 wt.% or greater, such as 8 wt.% or greater, such as 9 wt.% or greater, such as 10 wt.% or greater. The coating composition may comprise the borate source in an amount of 20 wt.% or less, such as 19 wt.% or less, or 18 wt.% or less, or 15 wt.% or less. The coating composition may comprise the borate source in an amount in a range between any of the above-mentioned values such as from 5 wt.% to 20 wt.%, or from 6 wt.% to 15 wt.%, or from 9 wt.% to 15 wt.%. The intumescent composition of the present disclosure may contain the aluminum source, if used, in an amount of 0.1 wt.% or greater, such as 0.2 wt.% or greater, or 0.3 wt.% or greater, or 0.5 wt.% or greater, or 1 wt.% or greater, or 3 wt.% or greater, or 5 wt.% or greater. The coating composition may comprise the aluminum source in an amount of 10 wt.% or less, such as 9 wt.% or less, or 8 wt.% or less, or 5 wt.% or less, or 3 wt.% or less, or 1 wt.% or less, or 0.7 wt.% or less. The composition may comprise the aluminum source in an amount in a range between any of the above-mentioned values such as from 0.1 to 10 wt.%, such as 0.2 to 8 wt.% or from 0.3 wt.% to 1 wt.%. The intumescent composition of the present disclosure may contain the silica source, if used, in an amount of 0.1 wt.% or greater, such as 0.2 wt.% or greater, or 0.3 wt.% or greater, or 0.4 wt.% or greater, or 0.5 wt.% or greater. The coating composition may comprise the silica source in an amount of 5 wt.% or less, such as 3 wt.% or less, or 2 wt.% or less, or 1 wt.% or less, or 0.8 wt.% or less. The composition may comprise the silica source in an amount in a range between any of the above-mentioned values such as from 0.1 to 5 wt.%, such 0.4 to 1 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0044] The optional zinc source can comprise a variety of materials. It is believed that the zinc material may contribute to the formation of a small-celled (such as 50 Ah or below) structure in the char. The small cells of the char may provide better insulation of the substratethat are better able to retain the char's integrity and adhere to the substrate as compared to larger cells (such as above 50 Ah, up to 100 Ah). Thus, cracking of the char and its breaking away from the substrate are minimized and a greater measure of protection is afforded to the underlying substrate. Examples of suitable materials that are sources of zinc include zinc oxide, zinc salts, such as zinc borate and zinc phosphate, zinc carbonate, zinc metal, and combinations thereof. The zinc source, if used, may be used in an amount of 5 wt.% or greater, such as 10 wt.% or greater. The coating composition may comprise the zinc source in an amount of 40 wt.% or less, such as 30 wt.% or less. The coating composition may comprise the zinc source in an amount in a range between any of the above-mentioned values such as from 5 wt.% to 40 wt.%, or from 10 wt.% to 30 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0045] The optional acid source may comprise ammonium phosphate, ammonium polyphosphate, diammonium diphosphate, diammonium pentaborate, phosphoric acid-generating materials, boric acid, metal or organic borates and combinations thereof. The acid source, if used, may be used in an amount of 5 wt.% or greater, such as 10 wt.% or greater. The coating composition may comprise the acid source in an amount of 60 wt.% or less, such as 50 wt.% or less, or 40 wt.% or less. The coating composition may comprise the acid source in an amount in a range between any of the above-mentioned values such as from 5 wt.% to 60 wt.%, or from 10 wt.% to 50 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0046] It will be appreciated that many of the components of the present composition may serve more than one function in the composition. That is, a single material may be a source of more than one of the recited components of the composition. For example, zinc borate can provide a source of zinc and a source of borate; zinc phosphate may provide a source of zinc and a source of phosphate, and the like. If a material is a source of more than one component, its weight is used in the wt.% calculation of each component. That is, the amount of zinc in zinc phosphate is included in the total amount of zinc and the amount of phosphate in the total amount of phosphate. Many sources of acid also contribute other components and their weight would be counted in both the amount of acid and the amount of the other component.

[0047] The optional reinforcing fillers may be chosen from among a large array of conventionally utilized materials, including fibrous reinforcements. Examples of fibrousreinforcements include glass fibers, ceramic fibers, e.g., aluminum oxide / silicon oxide, graphite fibers, mineral fibers and basalt fibers, which can be used in an amount of 10.0 wt.% or less, such as 5 wt.% or less, such as 4 wt.% or less, or 2 wt.% or less, or in an amount of 0.1 wt.% or greater, such as 0.2 wt.% or greater, 0.5 wt.% or greater, or 1 wt.% or greater, or in a range of any of the above-mentioned values such as from 0.1 wt.% to 5 wt.% or from 1 wt.% to 4 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0048] The compositions of the present disclosure may also contain a variety of conventional additives, such as rheology additives, organic solvents, foam stabilizers, pigments, and the like. These ingredients are optional and can be added in varying amounts. Typically, if additional additives are used, they are present in a total amount of 1 wt.% or greater, such as 2 wt.% or greater, or 5 wt.% or greater, or 10 wt.% or greater. The additional additives, if used, can for example be present in the compositions according to the present disclosure in a total amount of 20 wt.% or less, such as 15 wt.% or less, or 12 wt.% or less. The composition may comprise the optional additional additives in a total range of any of the above-mentioned values such as from 1 to 20 wt.%, such as 2 to 20 wt.% or 5 to 15 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0049] The coating compositions of the present disclosure may further comprise TiO2, such as in an amount of 3 wt.% or greater, such as 5 wt.% or greater or 10 wt.% or greater and may be present in any amount of 25 wt.% or less, such as 20 wt.% or less, or 15 wt.% or less, or in a range of 5-20 wt.% or 10-15 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0050] The compositions of the present disclosure may further comprise a fire-retardant material in addition to the phosphate source. “Fire-retardant material” and like terms as used herein refers to materials that minimize the likelihood of a fire, examples of which are metal oxides, including MgOH. Fire-retardant materials may also include those that release water when heated to 100°C or greater, such as hydrated metal oxides, including Al(OH)3 (“ATH”), Mg(OH)2, and Ca(OH)2. The coating composition may comprise the additional fire-retardant material in an amount of 5 wt.% or greater, such as 10 wt.% or greater, 15 wt.% or greater, or 20 wt.% or greater. The coating composition may comprise the fire-retardant material in an amount of 40 wt.% or less, such as 30 wt.% or less, or 25 wt.% or less, or 15 wt.% or less. The amountof fire-retardant material may range from 5 to 30 wt.%, such as 5 to 15 wt.% or 10 to 15 wt.%. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0051] It might also be desirable that the coating compositions of the present disclosure specifically exclude certain chemicals or components. For example, the present compositions may be substantially free, essentially free, or completely free of one or more of the following: a borate source, alkyl phosphorus acid(s), melamine, ethylenically unsaturated monomer residues such as those from (meth)acrylic acid and / or styrene, a surfactant including, but not limited to, a non-ionic surfactant, silicates including, but not limited to, layered silicate and aluminum silicate(s), and piperazine salt(s), any of the above reinforcing fillers, TiO2 and solvent. “Substantially free” as used in this context means the composition comprises less than 1 wt.% of any of these compounds, “essentially free” means 0.5 wt.% or less of any of the compounds, and “completely free” means that the compounds contain, if any, only trace amounts such as would be present as an impurity in another compound. The wt.% reported above are each based on the total solid weight of the composition.

[0052] The present compositions are one component (“1K”). A 1K composition will be understood as referring to a composition wherein all the coating components are maintained in the same container after manufacture, during storage, etc. A 1K composition can be applied to a substrate and cured by any conventional means, such as by heating, forced air, and the like. The compositions of the present disclosure can be cured by application of elevated temperature, as discussed below. As will be understood by those in the coatings art, two (or multi) component coatings have reactive materials separated until right before application, since they will begin to react upon contact. The present 1K compositions offer the advantage of providing a protective coating without the need to mix or blend the various components and also without the need to use the mixture before the components react. That is, the present 1K compositions provide a greatly extended pot life as compared to multi component compositions. It was surprisingly discovered that the 1K compositions of the present disclosure provided thermally insulating properties previously only seen with multi component compositions.

[0053] The coating composition of the present disclosure may be in the form of a thick material, such as a mastic, with “thick” referring to a material having a viscosity above 10 Pas when measured at room temperature and 0.1 s-1shear rate. It is particularly suitable that the composition be free of solvent other than that brought into the composition through one or moreof its components and spray-applied. If desired, thinning can be accomplished with a variety of conventional solvents such as, xylene, methylene chloride, or 1,1,1-trichloroethane. Other methods of application could be used, such as dipping, rolling, brushing and / or application robotically; application can be by precision spraying, in which the composition is sprayed to a specific portion of the substrate without overspray.

[0054] The coating composition of the present disclosure may be applied to provide the dry film thicknesses (“DFT”) as desired. Suitable dry film thicknesses can range from 10 - 20,000 microns, such as 50 – 5000 microns, such as 100 – 2000 microns. The desired DFT can vary depending on the application. For use on energy storage devices, such as lithium batteries, a DFT ranging from 200 to 5000 microns, such as 200 to 3000 microns, such as 1000 microns + / - 100, may be suitable. It will be appreciated that there is often limited space within a battery pack, and so a smaller DFT might be particularly suitable.

[0055] Alternatively, the compositions of the present disclosure can be formed into a self-supported film and / or sheet. This can be done using any technique known to a person skilled in the art, for example a cast-molding process, by impregnating a mesh with the coating composition, and the like. The film and / or sheet can be cured to form a crosslinked self- supported film and / or sheet that can then be applied to a substrate. It is also within the present disclosure that after the forming step the uncured or partially cured film and / or sheet is applied to a substrate and then subsequently cured to obtain the coating layer according to the present disclosure. The film and / or sheet may be applied to the substrate through an adhesive. Accordingly, when reference is made herein to a substrate being “coated with”, having “applied” thereto, or like terms, the present composition(s), this includes coating by application of a film and / or sheet formed from the composition(s).

[0056] The present coating compositions, including those that have been formed into a film / sheet, are cured through application of elevated temperature. The cure temperature will typically be within a range and will be selected to cause activation of the latent catalyst without causing degradation of the gas source, if used. That is, the temperature should be high enough to effect cure but not be so high that it causes intumescence of the coating in those compositions comprising a gas source. The cure temperature may range from 110-200oC, such as 120-180oC, such as 130-160oC, such as 140-150oC. The cure temperature may be 110oC, 120oC, 130oC, 140oC, 150oC, 160oC, 170oC, 180oC, 190oC, or 200oC. An “elevated temperature” means anytemperature of 110-200oC. The coating compositions can be cured after application, and as noted above, films / sheets made from the compositions can be cured or partially cured prior to application and / or cured after application.

[0057] The present coatings and self-supporting sheets and / or films can be applied to any substrates known in the art, for example, automotive substrates, marine substrates, industrial substrates, heavy-duty equipment, packaging substrates, lumber, wood flooring and furniture, apparel, electronics including housings and circuit boards and including consumer electronics such as housings for computers, notebooks, smartphones, tablets, televisions, gaming equipment, computer equipment, computer accessories, MP3 players, glass and transparencies, sports equipment and the like. These substrates can be metallic substrates, such as metal sheet, tin, steel, tin-plated steel, chromium passivated steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, and aluminum foil. Metal sheet as used herein refers to flat metal sheet and coiled metal sheet, which is coiled, uncoiled for coating, and then re-coiled for shipment to a manufacturer.

[0058] Particularly suitable substrates according to the present disclosure are automotive substrates. Because the present coating compositions cure upon application of heat, the coatings can be applied and cured together with the other heat-cure coatings typically applied to the vehicle. In a typical vehicle coating operation, the metallic portion of the vehicle body may be pretreated and / or coated by electrodeposition (“ecoat”) prior to application of one or more of any additional performance enhancing and / or vision / color enhancing coatings. Following application of these one or more additional coatings the vehicle body undergoes one or more curing steps during which the coated car body is placed in an oven; elevated temperatures cause these coatings to cure, including coatings deposited from the present coating compositions.

[0059] Accordingly, the present disclosure is further directed to a method for using the coating composition / film / sheet of the present disclosure to coat at least a portion of a surface of a vehicle, to a vehicle comprising a surface coated at least in part with any of the coating composition / film / sheet of the present disclosure, and to a method for coating a vehicle comprising applying a coating layer from any of the coating compositions / films / sheets of the present disclosure and one or more additional coating layers and simultaneously curing the coating of the present disclosure and the one or more additional layers, which together form a coating stack. “Applying,” “applied to,” “application” and any variants thereof, when referring to the coating composition, means coating with and, when referring to the film and / or sheet,means that the film / sheet can be affixed or attached to the substrate, such as by use of an adhesive, and / or positioned adjacent to the substrate. “Applying” therefore includes placing a self-supported film and / or sheet adjacent to a surface of an article. “Simultaneously” means the coating compositions cure in the same baking step.

[0060] “Vehicle” as used herein refers to in its broadest sense all types of vehicles, such as but not limited to cars, trucks, buses, tractors, harvesters, heavy duty equipment, vans, golf carts, motorcycles, bicycles, railcars, subway cars, airplanes, helicopters, boats of all sizes and the like. “Vehicle” is also used herein collectively to refer to a vehicle or any part(s) thereof. Particularly suitable vehicles include hybrid or electric cars, buses or trucks, which contain an electric battery. In such vehicles it is common to position the battery, due to its weight, as a flat battery pack underneath the floor portion of the vehicle body, such as the car body. The coating composition, film and / or sheet of the present disclosure may be applied to the floor portion of the vehicle adjacent to the battery, such as between the battery and the vehicle body. In an event of a thermal runaway of the battery or a battery fire, the car body, especially the passenger cabin, would be protected by the coating layer / film / sheet of the present disclosure so that the battery box will resist flame, and any fire inside the battery box will not spread into the passenger cabin; heat-up of the passenger cabin may also be limited for a prolonged period of time so that the passengers can safely escape from the vehicle in case of such an incident.

[0061] It might be desirable to use one or more additional fire-retardant materials and / or fire mitigation means within and / or around the battery. For example, a thermally insulating material or a high strength material could be wrapped around or otherwise positioned between battery cells, or around the perimeter or interior of the battery housing. Examples of such material include fiberglass, mineral wool, silica / silica fibers, alumina, Kevlar, Nomex, calcium- silicate, or calcium silicate fibers; these materials can be, for example, in a sheet or other self- supported form. Foams could also be used, such as polyurethane / polyurea foam with fire retardants. Physical barriers could also be employed, such as cooling fins interposed between battery cells, mica boards, Aerogel blankets, and / or mineral / glass / carbon fiber-containing blankets.

[0062] It might also be desirable to apply the present coating composition / film / sheet to the surface of a battery. Accordingly, the present disclosure is further directed to a battery that has been coated in accordance with the present methods. The battery can comprise one or morecomponents coated with the present coating composition / film / sheet, such as a battery cell, a battery shell, a battery module, a battery pack, a battery box, a battery cell casing, a pack shell, a battery lid and tray, a thermal management system, a battery housing, a module housing, a module racking, a battery side plate, a battery cell enclosure, a cooling module, a cooling tube, a cooling fin, a cooling plate, a bus bar, a battery frame, an electrical connection, metal wires, or copper or aluminum conductors or cables. The battery may be, for example, an electric vehicle battery, and the battery component may be, for example, an electric vehicle battery component. “Battery” is used herein collectively to refer to a battery or any components(s) thereof.

[0063] The surface of the vehicle can be one that has been already treated in some manner, such as to impart visual and / or color effect and / or to impart a performance effect. The surface can be alkaline cleaned, deoxidized, mechanically cleaned, ultrasonically cleaned, solvent wiped, roughened, plasma cleaned or etched, exposed to chemical vapor deposition, treated with an adhesion promoter, plated, anodized, annealed, cladded, or any combination thereof prior to application of the coating composition. The surface can have been pretreated and / or coated by electrodeposition prior to applying the present coating composition.

[0064] The vehicle surface may have an ecoat applied thereto prior to application of the present coating composition. While any ecoat may be used, it may be particularly desirable to use a fire-resistant ecoat. “Fire-resistant ecoat” and like terms as used herein refer to an ecoat layer that has been deposited from an electrodepositable composition comprising a fire-retardant pigment, an inorganic, platelike pigment, such as a phyllosilicate pigment, and / or having a pigment-to-binder (P:B) ratio of 0.4:1 or higher, such as 0.5:1 to 2.0:1. These coatings, due to their use of a fire-retardant pigment or high pigment content, may be less likely to be combustible as compared to electrodepositable coatings having a lower pigment content. Suitable examples of fire-resistant ecoat include those disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,697,081; U.S. Pub. No. 2023 / 044601 A1, Int’l Pub. No. WO 2021 / 127327A1; and Int’l Pub. No. WO 2022 / 133202 A1. Fire-retardant adhesives, sealants, gap fillers, pottants, and encapsulants can also be used, such as those formed from a composition comprising a fire-retardant. Fire retardants may be available as a powder that may be mixed with a composition, a foam, or a gel that may form a coating that may impart fire-retardants to a substrate surface. Suitable examples include those disclosed above as well as those disclosed in Int’l Publ. No. WO 2021 / 211722A1, pars. 57-309; Int’l Publ. No. WO 2021 / 211183A1, pars. 44-178; Int’l Publ. No. WO2021 / 211184A1, pars. 52-252; Int’l Publ. No. WO 2021 / 211694A1, pars. 60-299; PCT Appn. No. PCT / US2023 / 067964, pars. 44-183; U.S. Provisional Appn. No. 63 / 505,645, pars. 51-252; U.S. Provisional Appn. No. 63 / 497,303, pars. 31-141; and U.S. Provisional Appn. No. 63 / 477,568, pars. 58-223.

[0065] One or more additional coating layers can be applied to the vehicles of the present disclosure, including any of those used in the original manufacture of vehicles, such as a primer, basecoat, or topcoat. The curing temperature of these one or more layers and the layer of the present coating will typically be substantially the same, by which is meant within 20oC, such as 10oC, of each other.

[0066] Any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed therein. Although reference is made herein to "a" film-forming component, “a” film- forming resin, “a” latent curing agent, “a” phosphate source, “a” catalyst, “a” gas source, and the like, one or more of each of these and any other components can be used. Also, as used herein, the term “polymer” refers to prepolymers, oligomers and both homopolymers and copolymers; the prefix “poly” refers to two or more. When ranges are given, any endpoints of those ranges and / or numbers within those ranges can be combined with the scope of the present disclosure. “Including”, “such as”, “for example” and like terms means “including / such as / for example but not limited to”. The terms “acrylic” and “acrylate” are used interchangeably (unless to do so would alter the intended meaning) and include acrylic acids, anhydrides, and derivatives thereof, lower alkyl-substituted acrylic acids, e.g., C1-C2substituted acrylic acids, such as methacrylic acid, methacrylic acid, etc., and their C1-C6alkyl esters and hydroxyalkyl esters, unless clearly indicated otherwise. Aspects:

[0067] Aspect 1. A one component protective coating composition comprising a) a film-forming component comprising an epoxy resin and a latent curing agent; and b) a phosphate source.

[0068] Aspect 2. The protective coating composition of aspect 1, wherein the epoxy resin comprises more than one 1,2-epoxy moieties.

[0069] Aspect 3. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises a polyglycidyl ether of a polyphenol.

[0070] Aspect 4. The protective coating composition of aspect 3, wherein the epoxy resin comprises a polyglycidyl ether of bisphenol A.

[0071] Aspect 5. The protective coating composition of aspect 3, wherein the epoxy resin comprises a polyglycidyl ether of bisphenol F.

[0072] Aspect 6. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises a polyglycidyl ether of a polyol.

[0073] Aspect 7. The protective coating composition of aspect 6, wherein the epoxy resin comprises a polyglycidyl ether of hydrogenated bisphenol A.

[0074] Aspect 8. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises a polyether glycol.

[0075] Aspect 9. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises a polyglycidyl ether of a polycarboxylic acid.

[0076] Aspect 10. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises a reaction product of reactants comprising epichlorohydrin and a polycarboxylic acid.

[0077] Aspect 11. The protective coating composition of aspect 10, wherein the polycarboxylic acid comprises succinic acid.

[0078] Aspect 12. The protective coating composition of aspect 10, wherein the polycarboxylic acid comprises terephthalic acid.

[0079] Aspect 13. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises epoxidized olefinically unsaturated alicyclic ether and / or ester.

[0080] Aspect 14. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises an oxyalkylene group.

[0081] Aspect 15. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises epoxy novolac.

[0082] Aspect 16. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises epoxy phenol novolac.

[0083] Aspect 17. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin comprises epoxy cresol.

[0084] Aspect 18. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the latent curing agent comprises dicyandiamide.

[0085] Aspect 19. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the latent curing agent comprises dihydrazide.

[0086] Aspect 20. The protective coating composition of aspect 19, wherein the dihydrazide comprises adipic dihydrazide.

[0087] Aspect 21. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, further comprising a catalyst.

[0088] Aspect 22. The protective coating composition of aspect 21, wherein the catalyst comprises an amine-based catalyst.

[0089] Aspect 23. The protective coating composition of aspect 22, wherein the catalyst comprises guanidine.

[0090] Aspect 24. The protective coating composition of aspect 22, wherein the catalyst comprises urea.

[0091] Aspect 25. The protective coating composition of aspect 22, wherein the catalyst comprises a tertiary amine.

[0092] Aspect 26. The protective coating composition of aspect 25, wherein the tertiary amine comprises a cyclic tertiary amine.

[0093] Aspect 27. The protective coating composition of aspect 25, wherein the tertiary amine comprises an aromatic tertiary amine.

[0094] Aspect 28. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the composition further comprises a gas source.

[0095] Aspect 29. The protective coating composition of aspect 28, wherein the gas source comprises melamine.

[0096] Aspect 30. The protective coating composition of aspect 29, wherein the melamine comprises methylolated melamine.

[0097] Aspect 31. The protective coating composition of aspect 29, wherein the melamine comprises hexamethoxymethyl melamine.

[0098] Aspect 32. The protective coating composition of aspect 29, wherein the melamine comprises melamine pyrophosphate.

[0099] Aspect 33. The protective coating composition of aspect 28, wherein the gas source comprises urea.

[0100] Aspect 34. The protective coating composition of aspect 28, wherein the gas source comprises dimethylurea.

[0101] Aspect 35. The protective coating composition of aspect 28, wherein the gas source comprises dicyandiamide.

[0102] Aspect 36. The protective coating composition of aspect 28, wherein the gas source comprises magnesium dihydroxide.

[0103] Aspect 37. The protective coating composition of aspect 28, wherein the gas source comprises aluminum trihydroxide.

[0104] Aspect 38. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the composition further comprises a borate source.

[0105] Aspect 39. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the composition further comprises an aluminum source.

[0106] Aspect 40. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the composition further comprises a metal oxide and / or a hydrated metal oxide.

[0107] Aspect 41. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the phosphate source comprises ammonium polyphosphate.

[0108] Aspect 42. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the composition further comprises titanium dioxide.

[0109] Aspect 43. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the composition further comprises an acid source.

[0110] Aspect 44. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the composition further comprises glass fibers and / or mineral fibers.

[0111] Aspect 45. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the composition further comprises a zinc source.

[0112] Aspect 46. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the composition further comprises a silica source.

[0113] Aspect 47. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin and latent curing agent comprise 10 wt.% to 50 wt.% of the composition based on total solid weight.

[0114] Aspect 48. The protective coating composition of any preceding aspect, wherein the epoxy resin and latent curing agent comprise 15 wt.% to 40 wt.% of the composition based on total solid weight.

[0115] Aspect 49. The protective coating composition of any of aspects 1-47, wherein the epoxy resin and latent curing agent comprise 20 wt.% to 50 wt.% of the composition based on total solid weight.

[0116] Aspect 50. The protection coating of any of aspects 21-49, wherein the catalyst comprises 0.1 wt.% to 5 wt.% of the composition based on total solid weight.

[0117] Aspect 51. The protective coating composition of aspect 50, wherein the catalyst comprises 0.5 wt.% to 3.0 wt.% of the composition based on total solid weight.

[0118] Aspect 52. The protective coating composition of aspect 50, wherein the catalyst comprises 1.0 wt.% to 2.0 wt.% of the composition based on total solid weight.

[0119] Aspect 53. The protective coating composition of any of aspects 28-52, wherein the gas source comprises 1.0 wt.% to 10.0 wt.% of the composition based on total solid weight.

[0120] Aspect 54. The protective coating composition of aspect 53, wherein the gas source comprises 3.0 wt.% to 7.0 wt.% of the composition based on total solid weight.

[0121] Aspect 55. The protective coating composition of any of aspects 1-28 or 33-54, wherein the composition is substantially free, essentially free, and / or completely free of melamine.

[0122] Aspect 56. A coating layer deposited from the protective coating composition of any preceding aspect.

[0123] Aspect 57. The coating layer of aspect 56, wherein the layer passes the Thermal Runaway Test.

[0124] Aspect 58. The coating layer of aspect 56, wherein the coating layer is non- intumescent.

[0125] Aspect 59. A self-supported film and / or sheet formed from the protective coating composition of any of aspects 1-55.

[0126] Aspect 60. A method for using the coating composition of any of aspects 1-55 and / or the film and / or sheet of aspect 59 to coat a substrate, comprising applying to at least a portion of the substrate such composition, film, and / or sheet, and, when the composition isapplied, or the film and / or sheet is applied uncured or partially cured, they are cured after application by heating at an elevated temperature to form a cured coating layer.

[0127] Aspect 61. The method of aspect 60, wherein the elevated temperature is 110oC – 200oC.

[0128] Aspect 62. The method of aspect 60, wherein the elevated temperature is 120oC – 180oC.

[0129] Aspect 63. The method of aspect 60, wherein the elevated temperature is 130oC – 160oC.

[0130] Aspect 64. The method of aspect 60, wherein the elevated temperature is 140oC – 150oC.

[0131] Aspect 65. The method of any of aspects 60-64 wherein both the protective coating composition and the film and / or sheet is applied to the substrate.

[0132] Aspect 66. A substrate prepared according to any of the methods of aspects 59- 65.

[0133] Aspect 67. The substrate of aspect 66, wherein the substrate comprises a vehicle.

[0134] Aspect 68. The substrate of aspect 66, wherein the substrate comprises a battery.

[0135] Aspect 69. A vehicle comprising an ecoat layer and the battery of aspect 68, wherein the ecoat layer is between a surface of the vehicle and the battery.

[0136] Aspect 70. The vehicle of aspect 69, wherein the ecoat layer is a fire-resistant ecoat.

[0137] Aspect 71. The vehicle of aspects 69 or 70, wherein the cured coating layer, film and / or sheet is on a surface of the battery.

[0138] Aspect 72. The vehicle of aspects 69 or 70, wherein the cured coating layer, film and / or sheet is on an inside surface of a lid of the battery.

[0139] Aspect 73. The vehicle of any of aspects 69 or 70, wherein the cured coating layer, film and / or sheet is on an inside surface of a box comprising the battery.

[0140] Aspect 74. The vehicle of any of aspects 69-73, wherein the vehicle further comprises the substrate of aspect 66.

[0141] Aspect 75. The vehicle of any of aspects 69-73, wherein the cured coating layer, film and / or sheet is non-intumescent.

[0142] Aspect 76. The vehicle of any of aspects 69-73, wherein the cured coating layer, film and / or sheet is intumescent.

[0143] Aspect 77. The vehicle of any of aspects 75-76, wherein the coating layer, film, and / or sheet comprises part of a coating stack.

[0144] Aspect 78. The vehicle of any of aspects 69-77, wherein the vehicle further comprises an additional fire-retardant material.

[0145] Aspect 79. The battery of aspect 68, wherein the battery comprises a battery lid. EXAMPLES

[0146] The following examples are intended to illustrate the disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure in any way.

[0147] Coating formulations 1, 2 and 3 were prepared using the ingredients shown below. Formulations 1 and 2 represent the one-component coating composition of the present disclosure, while formulation 3 is representative of a two-component intumescent coating. The formulations were prepared by dispersing all the components under a dispersion machine at high rotation speed until the sizes of the particles in the formulation were below 100 microns. For formulation 1, the mixed paint was applied on 150 x 75 x 1.2 mm aluminum panels with airless spray application and then cured at 150oC over 60 min, resulting in a DFT of 1 mm, while for formulation 2, the base and hardener were mixed in the ratios shown in the tables below immediately prior to application. The base and hardener were mixed until the color of the mixture became homogenous and lump-free. The coating was then applied on 150 x 75 x 1.2 mm aluminum panels with airless spray application, resulting in a DFT of 1 mm. All coated panels were tested against 1200±50oC torch fire for 5 minutes. The temperature at the backside of the aluminum panel showed 300-350oC for all coated panels, indicating that the coatings of the present disclosure offered similar protection to that of a two-component intumescent coating.Formulation 1: Example 1 Component Trade name Weight% Bis-phenol A diglycidyl ether EPIKOTE 828132.13Clariant AG4The Chemours Company LLC Formulation 2: Example 2 Component Trade name Weight% Bis-phenol A diglycidyl ether EPIKOTE 828 32.1Formulation 3: Formulation 3-base (base: hardener = 4:1) Component Trade name Weight% in set Bi h l A di l id l th EPIKOTE 8626185Formulation 3- hardener (base: hardener = 4:1) Component Trade name Weight% in set (tris-2,4,6-dimethylaminomethyl Accelorator 960-111108Nippon electric glass9Elementis Specialties10R J Marshall Co11Huntsman12Huntsman13Allnex

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A one component protective coating composition comprising: a) a film-forming component comprising an epoxy resin and a latent curing agent; and b) a phosphate source.

2. The coating composition of claim 1, wherein (a) the epoxy resin comprises a polyglycidyl ether of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A) and / or (b) the latent curing agent comprises dicyandiamide and / or a dihydrazide.

3. The coating composition of claim 2, wherein the dihydrazide comprises adipic dihydrazide.

4. The coating composition of any preceding claim, further comprising (c) a catalyst and / or (d) a gas source.

5. The coating composition of claim 4, wherein the catalyst comprises an amine-based catalyst.

6. The coating composition of claim 4, wherein the gas source comprises melamine, salts of phosphoric acid, guanidine, urea, dicyanamide and / or an alkaline earth metal comprising calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, magnesium dihydroxide, and / or aluminum trihydroxide.

7. The coating composition of any preceding claim, further comprising one or more of the following: a borate source, an aluminum source, a silica source, titanium dioxide, a metal oxide, a hydrated metal oxide, a zinc source, glass fibers and / or mineral fibers, and combinations thereof.

8. The coating composition of any preceding claim, wherein the phosphate source comprises ammonium polyphosphate.

9. The coating composition of any preceding claim, wherein the composition is substantially free, essentially free, and / or completely free of melamine.

10. A coating layer deposited from the coating composition of any preceding claim that passes the Thermal Runaway Test.

11. A self-supported film or sheet formed from the coating composition of any of claims 1-9.

12. A method for using the coating composition, film, and / or sheet of any of claims 1-9 or 11 to coat a substrate comprising applying to at least a portion of the substrate such coating composition, film, and / or sheet, and when the coating composition is applied, or the film and / or sheet is applied uncured or partially cured, they are cured after application at an elevated temperature to form a cured coating layer.

13. A substrate coated according to the method of claim 12.

14. The substrate of claim 13, wherein the substrate comprises a vehicle.

15. The substrate of claim 13, wherein the substrate comprises a battery.

16. A vehicle comprising an ecoat layer and the battery of claim 15, wherein the ecoat layer is between a surface of the vehicle and the battery.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the ecoat comprises a fire-resistant ecoat.

18. A method for using the film and / or sheet of claim 11 to coat a substrate comprising applying to at least a portion of the substrate the film and / or sheet, and when the film and / or sheet is applied uncured or partially cured, heating at an elevated temperature to form a cured coating layer.

19. A substrate coated according to the method of claim 18.

20. The substrate of claim 19, wherein the substrate comprises a vehicle and / or a battery.

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