Newsletter Resins & Additives for Coatings

Sustainable 2K PU topcoats with no compromises

Historically, formulating a 2K polyurethane glossy topcoat has been viewed as a case of ‘You get what you pay for’. For product developers, it is not easy to balance out quality and cost – usually they are forced to make compromises.

Now, customers can choose to shine with one solution offering everything they need. Our new Basonol® AC product range provides water-based dispersions for 2K PU topcoats that delivers cost efficiency without sacrificing performance, at the same time helping customers improve their sustainability profile.

Martijn Fossen
Senior Commercial Marketing Manager Resins & Additives for Automotive & Industrial Coatings

Choose performance

“We recognized that it was time for a more sustainable solution for topcoats that does not leave customers feeling like they made concessions elsewhere,” says Dr. Thorsten Pauen, Head of Technical Marketing Automotive & Industrial Coatings, Resins & Additives Europe. “After all, when it comes to highly demanding applications such as vehicles and machine parts, compromises can’t really be accepted. If customers have a choice to make, Basonol AC is designed to make that choice easy, offering the best of two worlds with the advantages of both secondary and primary dispersion technology in one product”, he explains.

What is most notable, however, is its lower isocyanate requirement. Around 15-20% less isocyanate needs to be added to achieve similar properties to the leading products currently on the market – which is associated with a reduced cost of up to 300,000 euros every year (based on 500 tons of clearcoat formulation).

Basonol AC is compatible with a wide range of use cases including high-gloss clear and pigmented topcoats, primer-and-topcoat formulations, and direct-to-metal applications. Along with excellent adhesion, it also offers a high level of chemical resistance, scratch resistance and flexibility.

 

Costs down, sustainability up

Basonol AC is water-based, APEO-free and uses less isocyanate than conventional products. Additionally, it is available in a CO2 reduced product version. Here, biomass is fed into BASF’s chemical production process and then allocated to the raw materials for printing inks and coatings (Biomass Balance Approach). Thus, customers can reach their sustainability targets and attract new environmentally conscious customers by expanding their portfolio with more sustainable solutions.

 

Choose to shine, choose Basonol® AC 1120 W

Suitable substrates
Plastic, e-coat, metal
Use cases High-gloss 2K PU clear and pigmented topcoat, 2K PU primer and topcoat, 2K PU DTM, 1K amino resin and blocked polyisocyanate
OH content 120 mg KOH/g
Expected drying time 30 min/80C (2K primer on plastic)
Properties High gloss, high scratch resistance, high chemical resistance
Pot life 6 hours