Electrophoretic lacquers offer more options

MacDermid's range of electrophoretic lacquers now includes solid colours and low bake systems that crosslink around 120C.

MacDermid's range of electrophoretic lacquers now includes solid colours and low bake systems that crosslink around 120C.

Applying organic coatings by electrophoresis is well established and has been in commercial use for over 40 years.

Nonyellowing clear Electrolacs based on acrylic polymers were introduced into the electroplating industry in the early 1980s.

The very early installations were mainly for coating brass and silver plate, replacing spraying and dip lacquering.

With the introduction of modern ultrafiltration systems and better polymer systems cathodic electrophorectic coatings have become an important part of the average electroplating shop, with industries such as lighting, plumbing hardware and a variety of other industries making Electrolaq an integral part of their process.

Also some installations have been replacing electroplating completely by using tinted coatings direct onto base metals to produce replacements for existing electroplating processes.

The range of dyes for Electrolaq can produce colours from reds all the way through to gold and brass tones A new range of products that are solid in colour has now been introduced.

The ElectroMac range was first introduced into the tools and hardware market to give a solid hardwearing finish to chisels, planes and saw blades.

The ElectroMac range of products can also includes PTFE to ensure a hardwearing finish that provides more than just aesthetic appeal.

Many of our customers use this type of product to colour code their finished items with their corporate colours in order to differentiate themselves in competitive markets.

ElectroMac ULB was developed to meet the very high demands of an International lock maker.

This company was having difficulty in finding a method to colour code and provide corrosion protection to its zinc based die-casting.

Under normal conditions the finish such as powder coating or electrocoating needed to be cured at 160C.

However heating the casting to this temperature was causing damage to a low cost zinc die-casting.

MacDermid's research team was asked to assist and developed ElectroMac ULB.

This is a material that is available in just about any colour imaginable and is applied using electrophoresis, however having the ability to crosslink this novel polymer at 120C ensures that sensitive substrates do not become distorted or damaged.

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