Manganese Chelant Coating Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for oxidatively curable alkyd-based coating formulations that do not contain cobalt-based driers, which also minimize skin formation during storage and require less modification by manufacturers, while maintaining acceptable curing rates and avoiding premature drying issues.
Innovation Solution
The use of transition metal complexes, specifically manganese complexes with chelants capable of chelating through three or four nitrogen atoms, which accelerate the curing process and reduce skinning tendencies in alkyd-based resin formulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cobalt-based driers are used to accelerate curing, then curing rate is improved, but health and safety concerns arise due to carcinogenic registration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive and problematic cobalt-based driers with manganese-based complexes that are safer and more environmentally friendly. The manganese complexes achieve comparable curing acceleration without the carcinogenic registration burden, effectively substituting a problematic material with a safer alternative that fulfills the same functional role.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters by using manganese ions combined with specific nitrogen-donor ligands (triazoles, pyridines, imidazoles, pyrimidines) instead of cobalt compounds. This parameter change maintains the catalytic function for oxidative curing while eliminating the health and safety issues associated with cobalt.
2Productivity
If metal driers are added to accelerate oxidative curing, then curing rate is improved, but skin formation during storage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces organic ligands (triazoles, pyridines, imidazoles, pyrimidines) as intermediaries that form stable complexes with manganese ions. These complexes act as controlled mediators of the oxidative curing process, providing gradual catalytic activity that accelerates curing while minimizing premature skin formation during storage. The ligand framework controls the release and effectiveness of the metal drier function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite metal complexes combining manganese ions with organic nitrogen-donor ligands. These composite materials provide a balanced system where the metal center offers catalytic activity for curing acceleration while the organic ligand framework provides stability during storage, preventing premature skin formation. The composite structure integrates the benefits of both metal-based catalysis and organic stability.
3Productivity
If manganese complexes with nitrogen-donor ligands are used, then curing rate is improved and skin formation is reduced, but formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal platform of manganese complexes that can work with multiple types of nitrogen-donor ligands (triazoles, pyridines, imidazoles, pyrimidines). This universal approach allows formulators to select from different ligand classes while using the same metal center and basic formulation approach, reducing overall complexity despite the variety of available ligand options. The manganese-nitrogen ligand platform serves multiple functions: curing acceleration, storage stability, and environmental safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These manganese complexes enhance the curing rate of oxidatively curable coating formulations, reduce skin formation, and allow for faster drying without the need for additional antiskinning agents, while minimizing the presence of manganese, iron, cobalt, vanadium, and copper ions.
Implementation Method 1
Film formation results from the autoxidation and polymerisation chemistries that occur during the drying of alkyd-based resins
Implementation Method 2
Film formation results from the autoxidation and polymerisation chemistries that occur during the drying of alkyd-based resins
Implementation Method 3
small, i.e. catalytic, quantities of optionally organic metal salts, often referred to as metal driers, which catalyse the polymerisation of unsaturated material
Implementation Method 4
a complex comprising a chelant capable of chelating at least one transition metal ion through either three or four nitrogen atoms and a manganese ion
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an oxidatively curable coating formulation comprising an oxidatively curable alkyd-based resin and a chelant capable of chelating at least one transition metal ion through either three or four nitrogen atoms, which chelants may each optionally be complexed with one or two transition metal ions, typically iron or manganese ions. The formulations may be paints or other oxidatively curable coating compositions. The invention also provides methods for making such formulations and compositions resultant from the curing of such formulations.