COATING COMPOSITION, USE AND METHODS FOR MAKING A SUBSTRATE FROST RESISTANT

1 . A coating composition [composition (C)] comprising:

at least one polymer [polymer (ZW)] comprising zwitterionic repeating units [units (R ZW )] derived from at least one zwitterionic monomer [monomer (A)],

at least one polymer [polymer (CA)] different from polymer (ZW) comprising repeating units [units (R CA )] derived from at least one carboxylic acid and/or carboxylic anhydride containing monomer [monomer (B)], and

at least one crosslinking agent [crosslinking agent (CL)].

2 . The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein the monomer (A) is selected from the group consisting of

a) alkyl or hydroxyalkyl sulfonates or phosphonates of dialkylammonium alkyl acrylates or methacrylates, acrylamido or methacrylamido;

b) heterocyclic betaine monomers;

c) alkyl or hydroxyalkyl sulfonates or phosphonates of dialkylammonium alkyl allylics,

d) alkyl or hydroxyalkyl sulfonates or phosphonates of dialkylammonium alkyl styrenes;

e) betaines resulting from ethylenically unsaturated anhydrides and dienes;

f) phosphobetaines of formulae

g) betaines resulting from cyclic acetals; and combinations thereof.

3 . The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein the monomer (A) is selected from the group consisting of

sulfopropyldimethylammonioethyl acrylate,

sulfopropyldimethylammonioethyl methacrylate (SPE),

sulfopropyldimethylammoniopropyl acrylamide,

sulfopropyldimethylammoniopropyl methacrylamide,

sulfohydroxypropyldimethylammonioethyl acrylate,

sulfohydroxypropyldimethylammonioethyl methacrylate (SHPE),

sulfohydroxypropyldimethylammoniopropyl acrylamide (AHPS),

sulfohydroxypropyldimethylammoniopropyl methacrylamide (SHPP)

1-(3-Sulphonatopropyl)-2-vinylpyridinium (2SPV),

1-(3-Sulphonatopropyl)-4-vinylpyridinium (4SPV), and combinations thereof.

4 . The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein polymer (ZW) further comprises repeating units [units (R N )], different from units (R ZW ), derived from at least one monomer [monomer (D)] different from monomer A.

5 . The composition (C) according to claim 4 , wherein monomer (D) is selected from the group consisting of methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, maleic acid anhydride, itaconic acid, crotonic acid, fumaric acid, 4-methacryloxyethyltrimellitic acid, 4-methacryloxyethyltrimellitic acid anhydride, methacryloyl-L-Lysine, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), hydroxypropyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), hydroxypropyl acrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (mPEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate, and combinations thereof.

6 . The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein monomer (B) is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, maleic acid anhydride, itaconic acid, crotonic acid, fumaric acid, 4-methacryloxyethyltrimellitic acid, 4-methacryloxyethyltrimellitic acid anhydride, methacryloyl-L-Lysine, and combinations thereof.

7 . The composition (C) according to claim 1 , wherein polymer (CA) further comprises repeating units [units [(R M )], different from units (R CA ), derived from at least one monomer [monomer (E)] different from monomers A and B.

8 . The composition (C) according to claim 7 , wherein monomer (E) is selected from the group consisting of methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), hydroxypropyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), hydroxypropyl acrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (mPEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate, and combinations thereof.

9 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the crosslinking agent (CL) is selected from the list consisting of polyols, polyamines, polyepoxides, polyisocyanates, blocked polyisocyanates, polycarbodiimides and mixtures thereof.

10 . The composition (C) according to claim 1 , comprising water in an amount ranging from 5 wt. % to 90 wt. % of the total weight of said composition (C).

11 . A method of making frost resistant a substrate, the method comprising making frost resistant a substrate with the composition (C) according to claim 1 .

12 . A method for making frost resistant a substrate, the method comprising processing the composition (C) according to claim 1 onto the substrate thereby providing a top coating layer (TL) effective to make said substrate frost resistant.

13 . An article comprising a metal or metal-containing surface, wherein the metal or metal-containing surface is coated with the coating composition (C) according to claim 1 , thereby providing a top coating layer (TL) effective to make said metal or metal-containing surface frost resistant.

14 . The article according to claim 13 , wherein a base coating layer [coating layer (BL)] is sandwiched between the metal or metal-containing surface and the top coating layer (TL).

15 . The article according to claim 13 , wherein said article is part of a heating and/or cooling system.