PPG Industries’ industrial coatings business highlighted new products during preview days at the 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit’s Cobo Centre last month. The products showcased were designed to help global automakers fight metal corrosion and meet increasingly stringent environmental standards around the world.

Among the products displayed were Powercron AdvantEdge and Powercron Epic tin-free electrocoats.

Powercron AdvantEdge and Powercron Epic e-coat systems are formulated with a proprietary catalyst that functions without tin, bismuth or other heavy-metal compounds, representing a significant environmental advance by PPG in corrosion-fighting products for the auto industry. In addition to helping auto manufacturers comply with new global environmental regulations, the technology enables PPG’s ninth-generation e-coats to cure at temperatures as low as 320 F to reduce energy consumption and related carbon emissions. Powercron AdvantEdge and Powercron Epic coatings also deliver improved throwpower for more uniform film builds on complex parts, along with excellent corrosion resistance, a smooth film appearance and outstanding workability.

Another product on view was the PPG Proprietary Zinc-Rich Primer with Electrocoat. PPG’s latest technology breakthrough is a duplex coating system that incorporates an “engineered” zinc-rich primer between the metal substrate and e-coat finish. Together, the primer and e-coat significantly improve the corrosion resistance of high-end underbody parts, subframe finishes and other vulnerable parts on trucks and passenger vehicles. The zinc-rich primer works exclusively with PPG e-coats to provide protection through the use of a sacrificial zinc-oxide layer that corrodes when the barrier coat is chipped by road debris, enabling it to reseal and protect itself.

The system, which can function as an economical alternative to galvanising and plating in some applications, has been performance-tested by major auto manufacturers and is demonstrating exceptional corrosion resistance on control arms, tie rods, steering knuckles and other components that are critical to the safety, durability and performance of trucks and automobiles. The technology also may enable auto manufacturers and their suppliers to cut costs by using thinner-gauge metal for parts; by enhancing corrosion resistance on welds, seams and cut edges; and by minimising masking requirements for complex parts.

PPG also showcased the Metal Conditioner 257 (AMC257) for mixed metal pretreatment systems. The near-neutral pH pickle/descaler, Metal Conditioner 257 removes weld scale and light oxides from steel surfaces. The product is ideal for use in mixed-metal pretreatment systems because it preconditions welds and heat-affected zones prior to phosphating without significantly affecting white metals, galvanised steel and aluminum surfaces, enabling them to be processed at the same time as steel. As a mildly acidic pickle/descaler, AMC257 is more sustainable than conventional mineral-acid pickle solutions because it is non-fuming and operationally easier and safer to use.

Another product that excited interest was the Versabond pretreatment system. In response to the increased use of aluminum in trucks and passenger vehicles, PPG has developed the Versabond pretreatment system, which employs the latest in zinc-phosphate hypernucleation technology to accelerate crystal formation and thereby reduce the production of sludge by up to 50 per cent in some pretreatment systems. Other environmental and performance benefits associated with the Versabond pretreatment system include 10 to 20 per cent lower processing temperatures and excellent corrosion resistance and adhesion due to its ability to uniformly deposit small, densely packed zinc-phosphate crystals.

As one of few companies in the world to manufacture pretreatments, e-coats, primers, basecoats and clearcoats, PPG is uniquely positioned to provide products and services for every stage of the coating process for aluminum and steel substrates.