9. Expanded Uses for High Edge Protective Electrocoat  
Speaker: David Junker, PPG Industries, Inc.

The concept of improved edge protection in electrocoat dates back well over 15 years.  As a deposited electrocoat film heats up, but before it cures, its own surface tension has a tendency to pull the coating back away from sharp edges.   Once cure temperatures are attained and crosslinking occurs, the result can be exposed metal edges with a very thin or no protective coating.  Advanced formulation electrocoatings that prevent this problem have found widespread application as ideal single coat finishes for automotive chassis components.  Somewhat more slowly, however, the electrocoat marketplace is beginning to realize the benefits of maximum edge protective coatings for a broader range of industrial and automotive components.