Light-emission-enhancement microbead paint compositions and their preparation

• US 6,525,111 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Prizmalite Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Prizmalite Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Andrews, John W., Tucker, Gary D. II, Spencer, Andrew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoon, Tae H.
• Application Number:
  US09/699,845
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 523/218, 523/219, 523/223, 524/494, 524/439, 524/449
• US Class Current: 523/218
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/34 Silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/40 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/004 Reflecting paints; Signal paints
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/61 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/69 Particle size larger than 1000 nm
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/70 characterised by shape, e.g. fibres, flakes or microspheres

Abstract

Paint compositions and coatings having improved overall visual appearance, richness or depth of color and aesthetic properties such as for spraying-painting automobiles, boats, aircraft and home appliances. The present paint compositions are high solids content, heat-curable, transparent or translucent compositions containing embedded light-refractive colorless and/or tinted transparent glass beads preferably between about 10 to 20 microns diameter, and one or more color-enhancing agents such as pigments, dyes, aluminum flakes, mica, opaque glass beads, holographic flakes, and similar conventional light-enhancing agents. The present bead-containing refractive paint compositions may be based upon volatile organic solvents, water or may be solvent-free powder compositions, but in all cases the resinous binder material is cross-linkable at the baking temperature of the paint, or upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation, to cure as a hard, translucent, chip-resistant paint.

Claims

1. Light-refracting, color-enhancing coating compositions, comprising a mixture of (a) at least one color-enhancing agent selected from the group consisting of dyes, pigments, metallic flakes, mica, opaque glass beads and holographic flakes, and (b) a mixture transparent or translucent glass beads having a diameter which is up to about 18 microns and having different refractive indexes within the range of about 1.5 and 2.5, and (c) a curable resinous binder material which cures on drying of the paint composition to form a hard, translucent, light-refracting paint layer.

2. A composition according to claim 1 in which the diameter of the glass beads is between about 10 and 18 microns.

3. A composition according to claim 1 in which the glass beads comprise a mixture of beads some of which have a refractive index of about 1.9 and others of which have a refractive index of about 2.1.

4. A composition according to claim 1 comprising the mixture of colorless, transparent glass beads and mica particles.

5. A paint composition according to claim 4 further comprising colored pigment or dye.

6. A paint composition according to claim 1 in which the binder material comprises a mixture of a pre-polymer having reactive sites, and a polyfunctional cross-linking agent which is reactive with said sites to cure the binder material.

7. A paint composition according to claim 1 in which the resinous binder material contains a volatile solvent or vehicle which is evaporated at a temperature substantially below the curing temperature of the paint composition.

8. A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the volatile solvent is an organic solvent, and the paint composition has a solids content above about 60%.

9. A paint composition according to claim 7 in which the volatile vehicle is water.

10. A paint composition according to claim 1 comprising a dry powder spray paint in which the resinous binder material comprises a heat-fusible resin powder.