Technical Talk

Selecting Acid Catalysts for Aminoplast Coatings

This presentation will provide an overview of aminoplast crosslinkers – including categories, advantages, and general reactivity – before exploring key considerations for formulators when selecting the proper acid catalyst for a coating. In addition to lowering energy demands and achieving suitable cure, an optimized catalyst can provide improvements to aminoplast-crosslinked systems such as package stability, intercoat adhesion, and corrosion resistance. Acid catalysts, while most familiar in melamine-crosslinked coatings, have increasingly broader use in hybrid formulations and wide-ranging applications. This presentation will include a discussion of available catalyst chemistries as well as key products for specific markets such as coil coatings, food contact packaging, automotive applications, and more.

Morgan Alexander is the Technical Manager for the Coatings Technical Service & Development Group at King Industries. Based at King’s headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut – she has over 10 years of experience with a variety of specialty additives for CASE and Foam applications,  with a predominant focus in acid catalysis of aminoplast coatings. Morgan began working at King Industries in 2015 as a Technical Service Chemist after receiving an ACS-accredited Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from The University of Connecticut.