Acrylic anticrater additive for electrocoats

1. An electrocoating composition comprising a film-forming binder and an anticrater additive in an amount of from 0.1 to 20 wt. % of the film forming binder, the anticrater additive comprising a copolymer that is the reaction product of an isocyanate containing compound with an isocyanate blocking compound, wherein the isocyanate containing compound has a structure according to the formula:

(OCN)n-X—N(H)—C(O)-G-R—S—Z;

wherein n is an integer from 1 to 6;

X is selected from the group consisting of aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups and a combination thereof having up to 60 carbon atoms; wherein each of the aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups can optionally be substituted with an isocyanurate group, an iminooxadiazine dione group, an allophanate group, a biuret group, a urea group, a urethane group or a uretidione group;

G is selected from the group consisting of N(R1) and a direct bond;

R is selected from the group consisting of aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups and a combination thereof having up to 20 carbon atoms, and R can optionally contain amide, ester, ether, urethane and/or urea groups;

R1 is selected from the group consisting of H, aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups and a combination thereof having up to 20 carbon atoms; and

Z comprises polymerized (meth)acrylic monomers, wherein the polymerized (meth)acrylic monomers have a weight average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 10,000,

wherein the isocyanate blocking compound is one or more selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, isobutanol, trimethylolpropane, ethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers, and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

2. The anticrater additive of claim 1 wherein X comprises an aryl group or a combination of both aryl and alkyl groups.

3. The anticrater additive of claim 1 wherein the polymerized (meth)acrylic monomers are chosen from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl acrylate, propyl methacrylate, isopropyl acrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate, isobutyl acrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, t-butyl acrylate, t-butyl methacrylate, pentyl acrylate, pentyl methacrylate, hexyl acrylate, hexyl methacrylate, 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate, 2-ethyl hexyl methacrylate and a combination thereof.

4. The anticrater additive of claim 1 wherein the polymerized (meth)acrylic monomers are isobutyl acrylate and isobutyl methacrylate.

5. The anticrater additive of claim 1 wherein the polymerized (meth)acrylic monomers have the weight average molecular weight of from about 5,500 to about 7,500.

6. The anticrater additive of claim 1 wherein R is —CH 2 CH 2 —.

7. The anticrater additive of claim 1 wherein X is derived from diphenylmethane diisocyanate.

8. The anticrater additive of claim 1 wherein the anticrater additive is present in the electrocoating composition in the amount of from 0.5 to 10 wt. % of the film forming binder.

9. The anticrater additive of claim 1 wherein the anticrater additive is present in the electrocoating composition in the amount of from 1 to 8 wt. % of the film forming binder.

10. An electrocoat composition comprising a crosslinkable component, a crosslinking agent and an anticrater additive; wherein the crosslinkable component comprises an epoxy amine resin, the crosslinking agent comprises a blocked polyisocyanate; and the anticrater additive comprises a copolymer that is the reaction product of an isocyanate containing compound with an isocyanate blocking compound,

wherein the isocyanate containing compound has a structure according to the formula:

(OCN)n-X—N(H)—C(O)-G-R—S—Z;

wherein n is an integer from 1 to 6;

X is selected from the group consisting of aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups and a combination thereof having up to 60 carbon atoms; wherein each of the aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups can optionally be substituted with an isocyanurate group, an iminooxadiazine dione group, an

allophanate group, a biuret group, a urea group, a urethane group or a uretidione group;

G is selected from the group consisting of N(R1) and a direct bond;

R is selected from the group consisting of aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups and a combination thereof having up to 20 carbon atoms, and R can optionally contain amide, ester, ether, urethane and/or urea groups;

R1 is selected from the group consisting of H, aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups and a combination thereof having up to 20 carbon atoms; and

Z comprises polymerized (meth)acrylic monomers, wherein the polymerized (meth)acrylicmonomers have a weight average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 10,000,

wherein the electrocoat composition comprises a film forming binder that comprises the crosslinkable component and the crosslinking agent, and wherein the anticrater additive is present in the electrocoating composition in an amount of from 0.1 to 20 wt. % of the film forming binder, and

wherein the isocyanate blocking compound is one or more selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, isobutanol, trimethylolpropane, ethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers, and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

11. The electrocoat composition of claim 10 wherein X comprises an aryl group or a combination of both aryl and alkyl groups.

12. The electrocoat composition of claim 10 wherein the polymerized (meth)acrylic monomers are chosen from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl acrylate, propyl methacrylate, isopropyl acrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate, isobutyl acrylate, isobutyl methacrylate, t-butyl acrylate, t-butyl methacrylate, pentyl acrylate, pentyl methacrylate, hexyl acrylate, hexyl methacrylate, 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate, 2-ethyl hexyl methacrylate and a combination thereof.

13. The electrocoat composition of claim 10 wherein R is —CH 2 CH 2 —.

14. A process for forming a layer of an electrocoat composition on the surface of a substrate comprising;

a) providing a bath of an aqueous electrocoat composition;

b) at least partially contacting the substrate with the electrocoat composition;

c) passing an electrical current through the substrate and the bath to apply a layer of the electrocoat composition onto the surface of the substrate;

d) removing the substrate from the electrocoat composition;

e) rinsing the surface of the panel with deionized water

f) heating the applied layer of electrocoat composition to at least partially cure the layer of electrocoat composition;

wherein the electrocoat composition comprises an anticrater additive comprises a copolymer that is the reaction product of an isocyanate containing compound with an isocyanate blocking compound, wherein the isocyanate containing compound has a structure according to the formula:

(OCN)n-X—N(H)—C(O)-G-R—S—Z;

wherein n is an integer from 1 to 6;

X is selected from the group consisting of aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups and a combination thereof having up to 60 carbon atoms; wherein each of the aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups can optionally be substituted with an isocyanurate group, an iminooxadiazine dione group, an allophanate group, abiuret group, a urea group, a urethane group or a uretidione group; G is selected from the group consisting of N(R1) and a direct bond;

R is selected from the group consisting of aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups and a combination thereof having up to 20 carbon atoms, and R can optionally contain amide, ester, ether, urethane and/or urea groups;

R1 is selected from the group consisting of H, aryl, alkyl, cycloalkyl groups and a combination thereof having up to 20 carbon atoms; and

Z comprises polymerized (meth)acrylic monomers, wherein the polymerized (meth)acrylic monomers have a weight average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 10,000,

wherein the anticrater additive is present in the electrocoating composition in an amount of from 0.1 to 20 wt. % of a film forming binder of the electrocoating composition, and

wherein the isocyanate blocking compound is one or more selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, isobutanol, trimethylolpropane, ethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers, and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether.

15. The process of claim 14 further comprising the step of rinsing the applied layer of electrocoat composition prior to e) heating the applied layer of electrocoat composition to at least partially cure the layer of electrocoat composition.