UV Cure Automotive Refinish: Clearcoats And Primers

Over the past decade, the automotive-refinish industry has been forced to look at innovative technologies to reduce volatile organic com- pound (VOC) content and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) while providing a rapid return to service of the consumer’s vehicle. UV-A-cured one-component (1K) auto- refinish primers were first introduced in the mid-1990s. UV-A clearcoats were sub- sequently introduced in the late 1990s. Materials have continued to be developed and pushed to mimic the classic two-component (2K) solvent-based polyurethanes (PURs); however, slow acceptance by the auto-refinish market over the past two decades is indicative of a market that is difficult to change. The automotive-refinish coatings mar- ket is forecast to surpass U.S. $6.3 billion globally in 2021. This market is expected to increase by 5.4% CAGR between 2021 and 2031. The main technology types are solventborne, waterborne, and UV cure. The classic coating layers are primers, basecoats, topcoats, and clearcoats. A specific parameter in the refinish area that must be addressed is the bottleneck of a 2-hour cure for the primer before it can be sanded. Current UV-cure primers can be sanded within 2 minutes. The need to lower VOCs and volatile HAPs (VHAPs) is among the current constraints for all technologies. A hurdle that was recently cleared in the UV-cure sector is the price barrier for UV light equipment. Reports for the market have UV LED units priced under $1,000. This market continues to consolidate and will be required to decrease refinishing speeds to remain competitive. This article will review the history of the UV-cured 1K and 2K auto-refinish market and formulations for primers and clearcoats. It will also attempt to look at current UV-cured 1K and 2K auto-refinish primers and clearcoats in the global market, new formulations, and new developments in UV equipment.