COATING SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT AND AIRCRAFT COATED THEREWITH
An aircraft having aerodynamic surfaces coated with a clear coat may be more easily cleaned and be more resistant to solvent degradation to the aircraft's paint. Such a clear coat is one having been prepared using a resin formulation including an aliphatic methacrylate and a curing agent, wherein the clear coat passes the SKYDROL Test.
1 . An aircraft having aerodynamic surfaces coated with a clear coat, the clear coat having been prepared using a resin formulation including an aliphatic methacrylate and a curing agent, wherein the coating has a Tg of from about 50 to about 100° C., the resin has an OH number of about 130 to about 230, and the clear coat passes the SKYDROL Test.
2 . The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the aircraft is a commercial airliner, general aviation aircraft, or a military aircraft.
3 . The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the clear coat is buffable.
4 . The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the aliphatic methacrylate has a general formula:
wherein R is a branched, cyclic or bicyclic aliphatic group having from about 4 to about 15 carbons.
5 . The aircraft of claim 5 wherein the aliphatic methacrylate is selected from the group consisting of: t-butyl methacrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, cylcohexyl methacrylate and mixtures thereof.
6 . The aircraft of claim 5 wherein the resin formulation additionally comprises an additional monomer capable of imparting hydroxyl functionality to the resin sufficient to allow it to be cured using an isocyanurate.
7 . The aircraft of claim 6 wherein the additional monomer is selected from the group consisting of: 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl methacrylate, tetraethylene glycol acrylate, para-vinylbenzyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.
8 . The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the curing agent is an isocyanurate.
9 . The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the curing agent is a trifunctional compound prepared from aliphatic or cycloaliphatic isocyanates having at least two isocyanate groups per molecule.
10 . The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the curing agent is a trifunctional compound prepared from di- or polyisocyanates selected from the group consisting of HMDI (hydrogenated methylene diphenyl diisocyanate), HTDI (hydrogenated toluene diisocyanate) hexamethylene diisocyanate), isophorone diisocyanate, and combinations thereof.
11 . The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the curing agent has an average hydroxyl reactive functionality that is greater than 3.
12 . The aircraft of claim 11 wherein the curing agent may be a polyisocyanate with one or more isocyanurate, allophanate, biuret or uretdione structures.
13 . The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the acrylic resin has a OH number of from about 140 to about 200.
14 . The aircraft of claim 13 wherein the acrylic resin has a OH number of about 160.
15 . The aircraft of claim 1 wherein the clear coat has a Tg of from about 55 to about 80° C.
16 . The aircraft of claim 15 wherein the clear coat has a Tg of about 60° C.
17 . A process for coating an aircraft's aerodynamic surfaces with a coating wherein the coating is a clear coat, the clear coat having been prepared using a resin formulation including an aliphatic methacrylate and a curing agent, wherein the coating has a Tg of from about 50 to about 100° C., the resin has an OH number of about 130 to about 230, and the clear coat passes the SKYDROL test.
18 . The process of claim 17 wherein clear coat is cured with a tin catalyst.
19 . The process of claim 17 wherein the aircraft's aerodynamic surfaces are first coated with a primer and then the clear coat.
20 . The process of claim 17 wherein the aircraft's aerodynamic surfaces are first coated with a primer, second with pigmented paint, and then with the clear coat.