When a powder coating is applied on surfaces other than classical metal substrates, a challenge rises. The low surface electrical resistivity of the thermoplastic olefins (TPOs) used for automotive fascia, dashboards, cup holders, door coverings, and roofing material must be modified with conductive adhesion promoters to improve electrostatic coating efficiency. Usually, carbon black or metal dust are used to enable conductivity in primers. However, they negatively affect the paint’s basic properties and limit the range of available colors.
A solution has been proposed by Clear Skies Coatings, a manufacturer and supplier of premium paint coatings to the automotive industry. The company offers an advanced conductive primer and adhesion promoter for TPO substrate. A colloidal suspension of powder in water enhanced with TUBALL™ COAT_E H2O 0.4%, a water-based dispersion of graphene nanotubes that is commercially available from OCSiAl.