PU COATINGS SAVE ENERGY IN FINISHING STRUCTURAL FOAM.

Concern over mounting energy costs has produced a number of recent developments in the area of spray-painting structural foam. Within the past two years, paint suppliers have introduced a host of ″low-energy-cure,″ plural-component urethane coatings, and equipment manufacturers have sought to develop specialized systems for handling them. This paper is concerned with the low-energy-cure urethanes and specially designed mixing/metering equipment which now makes it possible to paint structural foam economically and at high production rates. It describes the latest in spray-painting equipment and coating techniques, and takes a look at the operation of an experienced custom finisher in this field. A hint of what is in the works - an in-mold coating technique for structural foam - rounds out the report.