Process for the production of a multi-layer coating

1. A process for the production of a multi-layer coating, the process comprising the steps of:

applying an about 10 to about 30 μm thick coating layer from an aqueous pigmented coating composition A onto a substrate provided with an EDC primer;

applying an about 10 to about 25 μm thick base coat layer from an aqueous coating composition B onto the coating layer;

applying an about 30 to about 50 μm thick clear coat layer onto the base coat layer; and

jointly bake-curing the three coating layers,

wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A and aqueous coating composition B are different from each other,

wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A comprises (i) binder solids (ii) free polyisocyanate, (iii) a pigment content free of special effect pigments and comprising carbon black pigment and/or titanium dioxide pigment, and (iv) talcum filler,

wherein aqueous coating composition B consists essentially of a resin solids composition of about 10 to about 50 wt. % of aqueous (meth)acryl copolymer latex binder, about 5 to about 45 wt. % of aqueous polyurethane binder, about 15 to about 50 wt. % of melamine formaldehyde condensate resin and 0 to about 20 wt. % of one or more other binders, and

wherein the wt. % are calculated on a solids basis and total 100 wt. %.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A comprises (i) binder solids consisting of about 10 to about 50 wt. % of aqueous (meth)acryl copolymer latex binder, about 50 to about 90 wt. % of aqueous polyurethane binder and 0 to about 30 wt. % of one or more other binders, (ii) free polyisocyanate, (iii) a pigment content free of special effect pigments and comprising carbon black pigment and/or titanium dioxide pigment, and (iv) talcum filler.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the coating layer applied from aqueous pigmented coating composition A is flashed off within about 30 seconds to about 5 minutes at an air temperature of about 20 to about 30° C.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the aqueous (meth)acryl copolymer latex binder is made by free-radical emulsion copolymerization of olefinically unsaturated free-radically copolymerizable comonomers.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A comprises aminoplast resins.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the free polyisocyanate is a mixture of one or more hydrophilic polyisocyanates and one or more conventional polyisocyanates and wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A comprises an inert organic solvent.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the solids weight ratio between the one or more hydrophilic polyisocyanates and the one or more conventional polyisocyanates is about 80:20 to about 50:50.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the binder solids:free polyisocyanate solids weight ratio of aqueous pigmented coating composition A is about 2.5:1 to about 3.5:1.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is an automotive body or an automotive body part.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the sum of the coating thickness for the two-layer coating produced from the aqueous pigmented coating composition A and the aqueous coating composition B is about 20 to about 35 μm.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer applied from aqueous pigmented coating composition A is flashed off within about 30 seconds to about 5 minutes at an air temperature of about 20 to about 30° C.

12. A process for the production of a multi-layer coating, the process comprising the steps of:

applying an about 10 to about 30 μm thick coating layer from an aqueous pigmented coating composition A onto a substrate provided with an EDC primer,

applying an about 10 to about 25 μm thick base coat layer from an aqueous coating composition B onto the previously applied coating layer,

applying an about 30 to about 50 μm thick clear coat layer onto the base coat layer, and

jointly bake-curing the three coating layers,

wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A and aqueous coating composition B are different from each other,

wherein coating composition A comprises (i) binder solids, (ii) free polyisocyanate, (iii) a pigment content free of special effect pigments and comprising carbon black pigment and/or titanium dioxide pigment, and (iv) 2 to 3.5 wt. % of talcum filler based on total weight of the resin solids,

wherein the free polyisocyanate is a combination of one or more hydrophilic polyisocyanates and one or more conventional polyisocyanates,

wherein aqueous coating composition B consists essentially of a resin solids composition of about 10 to about 50 wt. % of aqueous (meth)acryl copolymer latex binder, about 5 to about 45 wt. % of aqueous polyurethane binder, about 15 to about 50 wt. % of melamine formaldehyde condensate resin and 0 to about 20 wt. % of one or more other binders, and

wherein the wt. % are calculated on a solids basis and total 100 wt. %.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A comprises (i) binder solids consisting of about 10 to about 50 wt. % of aqueous (meth)acryl copolymer latex binder, about 50 to about 90 wt. % of aqueous polyurethane binder and 0 to about 30 wt. % of one or more other binders, (ii) free polyisocyanate, and (iii) a pigment content free of special effect pigments and comprising carbon black pigment and/or titanium dioxide pigment.

14. The process of claim 12 , wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A comprises an inert organic solvent.

15. The process of claim 12 , wherein the solids weight ratio between the one or more hydrophilic polyisocyanates and the one or more conventional polyisocyanates is about 80:20 to about 50:50.

16. A process for the production of a multi-layer coating, the process comprising the steps of:

applying an about 10 to about 30 μm thick coating layer from an aqueous pigmented coating composition A onto a substrate provided with an EDC primer,

applying an about 10 to about 25 μm thick base coat layer from an aqueous coating composition B onto the previously applied coating layer,

applying an about 30 to about 50 μm thick clear coat layer onto the base coat layer, and

jointly bake-curing the three coating layers,

wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A is a two-component coating composition and aqueous coating composition B is a waterborne base coat composition, such that the aqueous pigmented coating composition A and the aqueous coating composition B are different from each other,

wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A comprises (i) binder solids, (ii) free polyisocyanate, (iii) a pigment content free of special effect pigments and comprising carbon black pigment and/or titanium dioxide pigment, and (iv) talcum filler,

wherein aqueous coating composition B consists essentially of a resin solids composition of about 10 to about 50 wt. % of aqueous (meth)acryl copolymer latex binder, about 5 to about 45 wt. % of aqueous polyurethane binder, about 15 to about 50 wt. % of melamine formaldehyde condensate resin and 0 to about 20 wt. % of one or more other binders, and

wherein the wt. % are calculated on a solids basis and total 100 wt. %.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A comprises (i) binder solids consisting of about 10 to about 50 wt. % of aqueous (meth)acryl copolymer latex binder, about 50 to about 90 wt. % of aqueous polyurethane binder and 0 to about 30 wt. % of one or more other binders, (ii) free polyisocyanate, (iii) a pigment content free of special effect pigments and comprising carbon black pigment and/or titanium dioxide pigment, and (iv) talcum filler.

18. The process of claim 16 , wherein the free polyisocyanate is a mixture of one or more hydrophilic polyisocyanates and one or more conventional polyisocyanates and wherein aqueous pigmented coating composition A comprises an inert organic solvent.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the solids weight ratio between the one or more hydrophilic polyisocyanates and the one or more conventional polyisocyanates is about 80:20 to about 50:50.