Method For Increasing Surface Energy Of Low Energy Substrate Utilizing A Limited Length Corona Or Plasma Discharge Treatment To Improve Adherence Of A Subsequently Applied Secondary Coating Thereto

20080008841

11/626938

January 25, 2007

A method for improving the adhesion characteristics of a secondary coating to a coated substrate material using a corona or plasma discharge treatment, in which the treatment is limited to a finite duration of time sufficient to increase the surface energy of the coated substrate above that of the secondary coating but insufficient to cause a loss or diminishment of the adhesion between any layers of coating of the coated substrate material or between the bottommost layer of the coating and the bare substrate. A secondary coating is applied to the treated substrate and at a desired thickness and cured or dried, depending upon its composition. The limited duration discharge treatment functions to improve the adhesion of the secondary coating to the coated substrate material without adversely affecting any previously applied coating layers.

Locke, Ralph (Fort Myers, FL, US); Jaussi, Roger C. (Novi, MI, US)

1. A method for forming a coated article comprising: forming a coated substrate material comprising at least one primary coating layer coupled to a bare substrate material, an outermost one of said at least one primary coating layer having an upper surface, said upper surface opposite said bare substrate material; applying a discharge treatment to said upper surface for a predetermined amount of time to increase the surface energy of said upper surface to a predetermined level; and applying a secondary coating material to said upper surface; wherein said predetermined level of the surface energy of said upper surface of said at least one primary coating layer is higher than a surface energy of said secondary coating material when said secondary coating material is applied and cured to said upper surface and wherein said predetermined amount of time is insufficient to cause cohesive failure between each layer of said at least one primary coating layer or insufficient to cause cohesive failure between a bottommost layer of said at least one primary coating layer and said bare substrate material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a discharge treatment to an outer surface of said at least one primary coating layer comprises: applying a corona discharge treatment to said upper surface for a predetermined amount of time to increase the surface energy of said upper surface to a predetermined level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a discharge treatment to an upper surface of said at least one primary coating layer comprises: applying a plasma discharge treatment to said upper surface for a predetermined amount of time to increase the surface energy of said upper surface to a predetermined level.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing a secondary coating material having a predetermined surface energy in a cured state; measuring a surface energy of said upper surface; and applying a discharge treatment to said upper surface for the minimal period of time sufficient to raise said surface energy to a level greater than or equal to said surface energy of said secondary coating material.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing a secondary coating material having a predetermined surface energy in a cured state; measuring a surface energy of said bare substrate material; measuring a surface energy of each of said at least one primary coating layers not including said upper surface of said outermost one of said at least one primary coating layers; measuring a surface energy of said upper surface; and applying a discharge treatment to said upper surface for the period of time sufficient to raise said surface energy of said upper surface to a level greater than or equal to said surface energy of said secondary coating material yet insufficient to be substantially greater than each of said surface energy of each of said at least one primary coating layer not including said upper surface and insufficient to be substantially greater than said bare substrate material.

6. A truck bed having a bed liner formed in accordance with the method of claim 1.

7. A method for coupling a truck bed liner to a truck bed comprising: providing a clean bare substrate material of a truck bed; coupling at least one layer of a polymeric primary coating material to said clean bare substrate material to form a coated substrate material, an outermost layer of said at least one layer of said polymeric primary coating material having an upper surface; applying a discharge treatment to said upper surface for a predetermined amount of time to increase the surface energy of said upper surface to a predetermined level; and applying a bed liner material to said upper surface; and curing said bed liner material to said upper surface; wherein said predetermined level of the surface energy of said upper surface is higher than a surface energy of said secondary coating material when said secondary coating material is applied and cured to said upper surface and wherein said predetermined amount of time is insufficient to cause cohesive failure between each layer of said at least one layer of said polymeric primary coating material or insufficient to cause cohesive failure between a bottommost layer of said at least one layer of said polymeric primary coating material and said bare substrate material.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising: applying a layer of a dust coating material to said bed liner material; and curing said layer of said dust coating material to said bed liner material.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein applying a discharge treatment to an upper surface comprises: applying a corona discharge treatment to said upper surface for a predetermined amount of time to increase the surface energy of said upper surface to a predetermined level.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein applying a discharge treatment to an upper surface comprises: applying a plasma discharge treatment to said upper surface for a predetermined amount of time to increase the surface energy of said upper surface to a predetermined level.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising: providing a bed liner material having a predetermined surface energy in a cured state; measuring a surface energy of said upper surface; and applying a discharge treatment to said upper surface of said at least one coating layer for the minimal period of time sufficient to raise said surface energy to a level greater than or equal to said surface energy of said bed liner material.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising: providing a secondary coating material having a predetermined surface energy in a cured state; measuring a surface energy of said bare substrate material; measuring a surface energy of each of said at least one layer of said polymeric primary coating material not including said upper surface of said outermost one of said at least one coating layers; measuring a surface energy of said upper surface of said of outermost one of said at least one coating layer; and applying a discharge treatment to said upper surface for the period of time sufficient to raise said surface energy to a level greater than or equal to said surface energy of said secondary coating material yet insufficient to be substantially greater than each of said respective surface energies of each of said at least one layer of said polymeric primary coating material and insufficient to be substantially greater than said bare substrate material.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein coupling at least one layer of a polymeric primary coating material to said clean bare substrate material to form a coated substrate material, an outermost layer of said at least one layer of said polymeric primary coating material having an upper surface comprises: coupling at least two layers of a polymeric primary coating material to said clean bare substrate material to form a coated substrate material, an outermost layer of said at least two layers of said polymeric primary coating material having an upper surface.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein coupling at least one layer of a polymeric primary coating material to said clean bare substrate material to form a coated substrate material, an outermost layer of said at least one layer of said polymeric primary coating material having an upper surface comprises: applying an electrodeposition coating layer to said bare substrate material; applying a primer coating layer to said electrodeposition coating layer; applying a basecoat layer to said primer coating layer; and applying a clear coat layer to said basecoat layer.

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edspap.20080008841