06.16.15
Dr. Vicki Cheng, a Senior Chemist at Axalta Coating Systems, presented her research at the 89th American Chemical Society Colloidal Surface Science Symposium, held at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 15. Symposium participants included prominent academics and industrial coatings experts from around the world. Dr. Cheng’s presentation showcased a new method for characterizing the drying process of a liquid coating that is often used for automotive and industrial applications.
During the drying process, a liquid coating undergoes rheological changes and transforms to a solid film. The drying process can affect the appearance and properties of the dry coating, such as smoothness and pigment orientation. Currently, the methods available for characterizing the rheological changes in such processes are limited.
“We developed a new method to measure rheological changes of a coating under controlled drying conditions, using an immobilization cell system,” said Dr. Cheng. “Small amplitude oscillatory shear measurements can be made on a liquid coating as solvents evaporate from it. The method can be used to successfully measure and differentiate drying profiles of coatings that have different resins, and drying times. It was previously used to screen a number of rheology modifiers that are typically used in modern coatings. We believe this method can help to shorten the cycle time for coating formulation development,” Dr. Cheng added.
During the drying process, a liquid coating undergoes rheological changes and transforms to a solid film. The drying process can affect the appearance and properties of the dry coating, such as smoothness and pigment orientation. Currently, the methods available for characterizing the rheological changes in such processes are limited.
“We developed a new method to measure rheological changes of a coating under controlled drying conditions, using an immobilization cell system,” said Dr. Cheng. “Small amplitude oscillatory shear measurements can be made on a liquid coating as solvents evaporate from it. The method can be used to successfully measure and differentiate drying profiles of coatings that have different resins, and drying times. It was previously used to screen a number of rheology modifiers that are typically used in modern coatings. We believe this method can help to shorten the cycle time for coating formulation development,” Dr. Cheng added.
