Comparison of 1K UV Primer vs. Conventional 2K Primers

By Thomas J. Laginess

The objective of this article is to compare the properties of a one-compo­nent (1K) UV primer versus conventional two-component (2K) primers used in the automotive refinish industry. A 1K UV urethane primer will be com­pared against a 2K urethane primer and 2K epoxy primer. The comparisons between the primers will be adhesion to metal substrates, humidity resist­ance, tone chip resistance, chemical resistance, and film hardness.

The cur­ing sources for the UV primer were lights that only produce wavelengths in the UVA and UVV range. The use of other UV wavelength ranges (UVB and UVC) is not feasible in refinish repair. These comparisons will illustrate the advantages of UV chemistry and will allow the user to understand the poten­tial advantages of a UV primer and the possible effects on the industry.