METHODS FOR CURING UV-CURABLE COATINGS

• US 20100183820A1
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Seubert, Christopher, Nichols, Mark Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/355,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20100183820A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/493
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0209 Multistage baking
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0263 with IR heaters
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/067 Curing or cross-linking the coating

Abstract

According to at least one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for curing a surface coating. In at least one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate having an ultraviolet-curable coating thereon, the coating having a base temperature, heating the coating for a first period of time to an elevated temperature above the base temperature, and irradiating the coating with ultraviolet irradiation for a second time period, at least a portion of the first time period occurring simultaneously with the second time period.

Claims

1. A method for curing a surface coating comprising:

providing a substrate having an ultraviolet-curable coating thereon, the coating having a base temperature;

heating the coating for a first time period to an elevated temperature above the base temperature; and

irradiating the coating with ultraviolet irradiation for a second time period, at least a portion of the first time period occurring simultaneously with the second time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating is carried out with infrared irradiation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second time period is longer than the first time period.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second time period starts before the first time period starts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the first time period occurring simultaneously with the second time period is a value of from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the base temperature is between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and the elevated temperature is between 45 to 70 degrees Celsius.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the coating is at least 90 percent cured after 5 minutes of subjecting the coating to the first and the second time periods, the time periods each being no greater than 5 minutes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet irradiation is carried out with light of a wavelength ranging from 300 to 400 nanometers to facilitate the effective reduction of ozone production.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a motor vehicle.

10. A method for curing a surface coating on a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a motor vehicle having an ultraviolet-curable coating thereon, the coating having a base temperature;

heating the coating for a first period of time to an elevated temperature above the base temperature; and

irradiating the coating with ultraviolet irradiation for a second time period, at least a portion of the first time period occurring simultaneously with the second time period.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the heating is carried out with infrared irradiation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second time period is longer than the first time period.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second time period starts before the first time period starts.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the portion of the first time period occurring simultaneously with the second time period is a value of from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the base temperature is between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and the elevated temperature is between 45 to 70 degrees Celsius.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the coating is at least 90 percent cured after 5 minutes of subjecting the coating to the first and the second time periods, the time periods each being no greater than 5 minutes.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the coating is at least 90 percent cured after 3 minutes of subjecting the coating to the first and the second time periods, the time periods each being no greater than 3 minutes.

18. A method for curing a surface coating on a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a motor vehicle having an ultraviolet-curable coating thereon, the coating having a base temperature;

heating the motor vehicle in a vehicle-accessible oven for a first period to an elevated temperature above the base temperature; and

irradiating the coating to ultraviolet irradiation for a second time period, at least a portion of the first time period occurring simultaneously with the second time period.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the elevated temperature is in a range of 45 to 70 degrees Celsius.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the portion of the first time period occurring simultaneously with the second time period is a value of from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.