Résumé : |
Very few objects capture the public interest as much as automobiles. In practice, automobiles are means of transporting persons and goods. And therein lies the particularity of this form of transportation – its individuality, which is very much in vogue with current ideas. Individual mobility is often linked to the individual appearance of objects, and automobiles are no different in this regard. Popular tastes in automobiles vary enormously. Some people like to drive very prestigious cars, others prefer sporty cars, or cars which "look different" – and there are many different tastes in between. The whole appearance of automobiles is dictated by the shape of the car body and its accessories, and not least by the surface impression created by the coatings. Makers of cars and coating materials spend a lot of effort on generating particularly appealing car surfaces. These include optimising resistance to weathering, corrosion, chemicals and mechanical impact. The most important target is to preserve the appearance as long as possible, ultimately over the vehicle’s life-time.
The formulation and composition of coating materials depend on the requirements of processes of different industrial application methods. Therefore, automotive coating systems are a special class of industrial coating systems. That is why some paint producers specialise in the development and production of automotive paints. Although criticism has been levelled at ever increasing production levels (e.g. due to rising emissions of carbon dioxide), it must nonetheless be borne in mind that producers of coating systems for automotive applications pioneered the development and introduction of environmental paint systems. Currently the most important target is to avoid hazardous compounds or to replace them, and to cut emissions of organic compounds during the production and application of paints. This book presents the results of such developments within the coatings industry. The development and production of automotive coatings is not the preserve of paint producers only. Suppliers of raw materials also participate in the developments and improvements. These include major chemical companies who produce basic raw materials, and producers of specialty chemicals, polymers for coatings, pigments, and additives. Makers of application equipment contribute to the development process, too. The automotive industry itself is also interested in achieving optimum systems and processes. Some companies therefore expend a great deal of effort on researching and developing coating systems.
This book is directed at persons who are involved in those sectors of industry which are related to the development, production, testing, marketing, supply of coatings raw materials, coating systems and application equipment. The information is addressed to chemists, physicists, engineers, and other persons with technical interests who are involved with coatings. Of course, another goal is to educate persons who are working their way into the technology. In addition, the book is directed at persons who are mainly involved in the application processes, but would like to know more about coating systems. |