Anti-corrosion electrocoat

1. A process for the coating of a ferrous substrate comprising the steps of:

1) providing a first bath comprising a conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition, wherein the conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition comprises:

A) conductive carbon black;

B) a neutralized chain extended epoxy resin having a molecular weight, as measured as the weight per epoxy group, of from about 400 to about 5000; and wherein the conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition has a carbon black to binder ratio by weight in the range of from 0.1:1 to 1:1, wherein the neutralized chain extended epoxy resin comprises two or more epoxy groups chain extended with amines that are neutralized with acid, and wherein the amines are carbamates;

2) placing the ferrous substrate essentially free from a phosphate coating at least partially into the first bath;

3) passing an electric current through the first bath and the ferrous substrate to deposit a layer of the conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition onto at least a portion of the substrate;

4) removing the ferrous substrate from the first bath;

5) rinsing the coated substrate with water;

6) heating the ferrous substrate to cure the applied layer of conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition to form a cured applied layer of conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition having a dry film conductivity of 130 to 150 Ransburg Units (RU);

7) providing a second bath comprising a second electrocoat composition;

8) placing the ferrous substrate at least partially into the second bath;

9) passing an electric current through the second bath and the ferrous substrate to deposit a layer of the second electrocoat composition onto at least a portion of the cured applied layer of conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition;

10) removing the coated substrate from the second bath;

11) rinsing the coated substrate with water; and

12) heating the substrate to cure the applied layer or layers of electrocoat composition.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the ferrous substrate is a cold rolled steel substrate that is free from any anti-corrosion coatings or free from any anti-corrosion treatments.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the heating steps 6) and 12) are performed at a temperature in the range of from about 140° C. to about 240° C. for about 5 minutes to about 60 minutes.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the conductive carbon black has an average particle size in the range of from about 10 nanometers to about 200 nanometers.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the carbon black is dispersed using an alkylene oxide extended styrenated phenol.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition has a carbon black to binder ratio by weight of 0.3 to 1.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition has a pH of from 5.95 to 6.10 and has a solids content of 20%.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the epoxy resin has a molecular weight, as measured as the weight per epoxy group, of from about 800 to about 3000.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the amines are hydroxyalkyl carbamates.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the amines are hydroxyalkyl carbamates having a formula according to (I):

wherein R1 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R2 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and wherein each R3 is, independently, a hydroxyl alkyl group having in the range of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.

11. A process for improving corrosion resistance of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

1) chain extending epoxy groups with amine groups, wherein the amine groups are carbamates, neutralizing the amine groups with acid to form neutralized chain extended epoxy resin, blending the neutralized chain extended epoxy resin and a crosslinking agent to form a film-forming binder, and providing a first bath comprising a conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition, wherein the conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition comprises the film-forming binder and conductive carbon black, wherein the neutralized chain extended epoxy resin has a molecular weight, as measured as the weight per epoxy group, of from about 400 to about 5000; and wherein the conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition has a carbon black to binder ratio by weight of from 0.1:1 to 1:1;

2) placing a ferrous substrate essentially free from a phosphate coating at least partially into the first bath;

3) passing an electric current through the first bath and the ferrous substrate to deposit a layer of the conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition onto at least a portion of the substrate;

4) removing the ferrous substrate from the first bath;

5) rinsing the coated substrate with water;

6) heating the ferrous substrate to cure the applied layer of conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition to form a cured applied layer of conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition having a dry film conductivity of 130 to 150 Ransburg Units (RU);

7) providing a second bath comprising a second electrocoat composition;

8) placing the ferrous substrate at least partially into the second bath;

9) passing an electric current through the second bath and the ferrous substrate to deposit a layer of the second electrocoat composition onto at least a portion of the cured applied layer of conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition;

10) removing the coated substrate from the second bath;

11) rinsing the coated substrate with water; and

12) heating the substrate to cure the applied layer or layers of electrocoat composition.

12. The process of claim 11 , wherein the ferrous substrate is a cold rolled steel substrate that is free from any anti-corrosion coatings or free from any anti-corrosion treatments.

13. The process of claim 11 , wherein the conductive pigment-containing electrocoat composition has a carbon black to binder ratio by weight of 0.3 to 1.

14. The process of claim 11 wherein the epoxy resin has a molecular weight, as measured as the weight per epoxy group, of from about 800 to about 3000.

15. The process of claim 11 wherein the amine groups are hydroxyalkyl carbamates.

16. The process of claim 11 wherein the amine groups are hydroxyalkyl carbamates having a formula according to (I):

wherein R1 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R2 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and wherein each R3 is, independently, a hydroxyl alkyl group having in the range of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.