A method and equipment to form a digital print by applying dry colourants on a surface of a panel, bonding a part of the colourants with a binder and removing the non-bonded colourants from the surface. The method of forming a digital print on a surface of a panel includes displacing the panel under a digital drop application head, applying a liquid binder with the digital drop application head on the surface; applying colourants on the liquid binder and the surface; bonding a part of the colourants to the surface with the liquid binder; removing non-bonded colourants from the surface such that a digital print is formed by the bonded colourants; and applying heat and pressure on the panel, the surface and the bonded colorants such that the colourants are permanently bonded to the surface.

The present invention provides a coating composition capable of forming a coating film having a good appearance and design of a coating film and having coating film properties such as scratch resistance with a good balance. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for forming a multilayer coating film including forming a coating film using the coating composition of the present invention.

The present invention provides a coating composition capable of forming a coating film having a good appearance and design of a coating film and having coating film properties such as scratch resistance with a good balance. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for forming a multilayer coating film including forming a coating film using the coating composition of the present invention.

A method of forming a multilayer coating film with excellent flip-flop properties and smoothness and allowing formation of a high-design multilayer coating film. In a method of forming a multilayer coating film comprising: a low-brightness intercoating film; a first base coating film; a second base coating film formed on an object to be coated; and a clear coating film formed on the second base coating film; the first base coating film is obtained by applying a first aqueous base coating material, the second base coating film is obtained by applying a second aqueous base coating material containing a brightness pigment, the clear coating film, with specific compositions and properties, is formed on a low-brightness intercoating film by a wet-on-wet method and the multilayer coating film is heat cured to form a cured multilayer coating film.

A method of forming a multilayer coating film with excellent flip-flop properties and smoothness and allowing formation of a high-design multilayer coating film. In a method of forming a multilayer coating film comprising: a low-brightness intercoating film; a first base coating film; a second base coating film formed on an object to be coated; and a clear coating film formed on the second base coating film; the first base coating film is obtained by applying a first aqueous base coating material, the second base coating film is obtained by applying a second aqueous base coating material containing a brightness pigment, the clear coating film, with specific compositions and properties, is formed on a low-brightness intercoating film by a wet-on-wet method and the multilayer coating film is heat cured to form a cured multilayer coating film.

The object of the present invention is to provide an aqueous coating composition which exhibits a small viscosity change and can form a coating film having a superior coating film appearance even when the amount of the solvent contained in the aqueous coating composition is reduced due to changes in the coating environment.

The present invention provides an aqueous coating composition comprising an acrylic resin dispersion (A) and a melamine resin (B), wherein the acrylic resin dispersion (A) has a core/shell structure, the acrylic resin dispersion (A) is a dispersion of a solution-polymerization product of a core part preparation monomer (a-1) and a shell part preparation monomer (a-2), wherein the shell part preparation monomer (a-2) comprises an acid group-containing polymerizable monomer, the mass ratio of the core part to the shell part of the acrylic resin dispersion (A) is in the range of core part/shell part=30/70 to 70/30, the shell part of the acrylic resin dispersion (A) has an acid group, and the neutralization rate of the acid groups in the shell part is 50% or more, the weight-average molecular weight of the acrylic resin dispersion (A) is in the range of 10,000 to 70,000, the core part preparation monomer (a-1) has an acid value of 10 mg KOH/g or less, and the shell part preparation monomer (a-2) has an acid value of 10 mg KOH/g or more and 70 mg KOH/g or less, the whole monomer mixture comprising the core part preparation monomer (a-1) and the shell part preparation monomer (a-2) has an acid value of 10 mg KOH/g or more and 30 mg KOH/g or less, the glass transition temperature of the acrylic resin dispersion (A) is in the range of −10 to 60° C., and the melamine resin (B) comprises a hydrophobic melamine resin.

The object of the present invention is to provide an aqueous coating composition which exhibits a small viscosity change and can form a coating film having a superior coating film appearance even when the amount of the solvent contained in the aqueous coating composition is reduced due to changes in the coating environment.

The present invention provides an aqueous coating composition comprising an acrylic resin dispersion (A) and a melamine resin (B), wherein the acrylic resin dispersion (A) has a core/shell structure, the acrylic resin dispersion (A) is a dispersion of a solution-polymerization product of a core part preparation monomer (a-1) and a shell part preparation monomer (a-2), wherein the shell part preparation monomer (a-2) comprises an acid group-containing polymerizable monomer, the mass ratio of the core part to the shell part of the acrylic resin dispersion (A) is in the range of core part/shell part=30/70 to 70/30, the shell part of the acrylic resin dispersion (A) has an acid group, and the neutralization rate of the acid groups in the shell part is 50% or more, the weight-average molecular weight of the acrylic resin dispersion (A) is in the range of 10,000 to 70,000, the core part preparation monomer (a-1) has an acid value of 10 mg KOH/g or less, and the shell part preparation monomer (a-2) has an acid value of 10 mg KOH/g or more and 70 mg KOH/g or less, the whole monomer mixture comprising the core part preparation monomer (a-1) and the shell part preparation monomer (a-2) has an acid value of 10 mg KOH/g or more and 30 mg KOH/g or less, the glass transition temperature of the acrylic resin dispersion (A) is in the range of −10 to 60° C., and the melamine resin (B) comprises a hydrophobic melamine resin.

Provided is a composition having antimicrobial, biocidal properties, in particular antiviral properties, for surface coatings of paper layers or material panels. The composition includes at least one formaldehyde resin, in particular a melamine-formaldehyde resin, at least one compound of general formula (I) R.sup.1SiX.sub.3 (I), where X is alkoxy, and R.sup.1 is an organic moiety selected from the group comprising C1-C10 alkyl, which may be interrupted by —O— or —NH—, and where R.sup.1 has at least one functional moiety Q.sub.1 selected from a group including an amino, methacrylic, methacryloxy, vinyl and epoxy group, at least one further compound of the general formula (II) SiX.sub.4 (II), where X is alkoxy, and at least one antimicrobial agent, in particular at least one biocide.

Provided is a composition having antimicrobial, biocidal properties, in particular antiviral properties, for surface coatings of paper layers or material panels. The composition includes at least one formaldehyde resin, in particular a melamine-formaldehyde resin, at least one compound of general formula (I) R.sup.1SiX.sub.3 (I), where X is alkoxy, and R.sup.1 is an organic moiety selected from the group comprising C1-C10 alkyl, which may be interrupted by —O— or —NH—, and where R.sup.1 has at least one functional moiety Q.sub.1 selected from a group including an amino, methacrylic, methacryloxy, vinyl and epoxy group, at least one further compound of the general formula (II) SiX.sub.4 (II), where X is alkoxy, and at least one antimicrobial agent, in particular at least one biocide.

A challenge of the present invention is to provide a water-based coating composition capable of providing a design superior in depth feeling in the formation of a multilayer coating film having a so-called color clear coating film. The present invention relates to a water-based coating composition comprising a coating film-forming resin (i) and a coloring pigment dispersion (ii), wherein the coating film-forming resin (i) comprises: an acrylic resin emulsion (A) having an average particle diameter of 100 nm or less in an amount of 10 to 60% by mass in terms of the resin solid content of the coating film-forming resin (i), a water-soluble acrylic resin (B) in an amount of 5 to 40% by mass in terms of the resin solid content of the coating film-forming resin (i), and a melamine resin (C) in an amount of 20 to 40% by mass in terms of the resin solid content of the coating film-forming resin (i); and the coloring pigment dispersion (ii) comprises a coloring pigment (D) having a 90%-volume particle diameter (D90) of 100 nm or less.