Patent ID: 6113838
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: B29C

Abstract:
A process for controlling the metallic appearance of a metallic automotive paint film containing reflective flakes to achieve a random orientation of the reflective flakes, the process comprising:casting a layer of a thermoplastic and thermoformable pigment-containing metallic automotive paint coat onto a carrier;the cast paint coat comprising a dispersion of a fluorinated polymeric material in a solvent-based solution of an optically clear weatherable resinous material, the dispersed fluorinated polymeric material having a mean particle size of about eleven microns or lower and being uniformly dispersed in the solution of resinous material, the cast paint coat further comprising a pigment uniformly dispersed in the paint coat to provide coloration, and reflective flakes uniformly dispersed in the paint coat to impart to the paint film a metallic appearance; anddrying the cast paint coat to fuse the paint coat and thereby form a finished metallic automotive paint film in which the parallel orientation of the reflective flakes to one another is inhibited such that the flake orientation of the finished paint film provides a randomly oriented distribution of the reflective flakes.