Provided is a water-based coating composition capable of forming a multilayer coating film having an excellent finished appearance and having excellent storage stability. A water-based coating composition to be used as a water-based first colored coating (X) in a 3-coat-1-bake multilayer coating formation method which sequentially applies a water-based first colored coating (X), a water-based second colored coating (Y), and a clear coating (Z) and heats and cures the obtained three-layer multilayer coating film simultaneously, wherein the water-based coating composition contains at least one resin selected from acrylic resins (A) and polyester resins (B), a curing agent (C), and urethane resin particles (D) obtained from structural components including a polyisocyanate component (d1) containing at least one diisocyanate (d1-1) selected from xylylene diisocyanate and hydrogenated xylylene diisocyanate and a polyol component (d2).

Provided is a water-based coating composition capable of forming a multilayer coating film having an excellent finished appearance and having excellent storage stability. A water-based coating composition to be used as a water-based first colored coating (X) in a 3-coat-1-bake multilayer coating formation method which sequentially applies a water-based first colored coating (X), a water-based second colored coating (Y), and a clear coating (Z) and heats and cures the obtained three-layer multilayer coating film simultaneously, wherein the water-based coating composition contains at least one resin selected from acrylic resins (A) and polyester resins (B), a curing agent (C), and urethane resin particles (D) obtained from structural components including a polyisocyanate component (d1) containing at least one diisocyanate (d1-1) selected from xylylene diisocyanate and hydrogenated xylylene diisocyanate and a polyol component (d2).

Described herein is a method for producing a multicoat paint system by producing a basecoat or a plurality of directly successive basecoats directly on a substrate coated with a first coat, producing a clearcoat directly on the one or the topmost of the plurality of basecoats, and subsequently jointly curing the one or the plurality of basecoats and the clearcoat. At least one of the basecoat materials is admixed, directly before application, either with an aqueous dispersion (D1) including a polyamide (PA) having an acid number of 15 to 60 mg KOH/g or with an aqueous dispersion (D2) including a polyamide (PA) and an amide wax (AW).

The invention provides a method of forming a multilayer coating film with excellent flip-flop properties and smoothness, 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 and a second base coating film formed on an object to be coated, and a clear coating film formed on the second base coating film, a multilayer coating film that includes a first base coating film obtained by applying a first aqueous base coating material, a second base coating film obtained by applying a second aqueous base coating material containing a brightness pigment, and a clear coating film, with specific compositions and properties, is formed on a low-brightness intercoating film by a wet-on-wet method and is heat cured to form a cured multilayer coating film.

A nanocomposite is provided including silica nanoparticles and a dispersant dispersed in a curable resin or a curing agent, where the nanocomposite contains less than 2% by weight solvent. The silica nanoparticles include nonspherical silica nanoparticles and/or spherical pyrogenic silica nanoparticles. A composite is also provided including from about 4 to 70 weight percent of silica nanoparticles, and a dispersant, dispersed in a cured resin, and a filler embedded in the cured resin. Optionally, the composite further contains a curing agent. Further, a method of preparing a nanoparticle-containing curable resin system is provided including mixing from 10 to 70 weight percent of aggregated silica nanoparticles with a curable resin and a dispersant to form a mixture. The mixture contains less than 2% by weight solvent. The method also includes milling the mixture in an immersion mill containing milling media to form a milled resin system including silica nanoparticles dispersed in the curable resin.

Method for producing a multicoat coating comprises: applying a primer-surfacer coat (I) to an optionally pretreated substrate, curing coat (I), applying a basecoat (II) to coat (I), optionally curing the basecoat (II), applying a clearcoat (III) to basecoat (II), and curing basecoat (II) and/or clearcoat (III), wherein coat (I) is obtained by applying a nonaqueous, solventborne coating material comprising by weight: at least 20% of at least one organic solvent, at least 8% of at least one first polyester (A1), having a glass transition temperature of at least 20 C. and an acid number of 0 to 40 mg KOH/g; at least 8% by weight of at least one second polyester (A2), different from (A1) and having a glass transition temperature of not more than 10 C.; at least one crosslinker (B); and at least 8% of one or more fillers and/or pigments (C).

The invention relates to a process for preparing an aqueous dispersion of a polymer P, which comprises the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate, an acrylate monomer, which is a C.sub.1-C.sub.10 alkyl acrylate or a C.sub.1-C.sub.10 methacrylate, an ,-ethylenically unsaturated C.sub.3-C.sub.8 carboxylic acid, glycidyl methacrylate or glycidyl acrylate, optionally an ethylenically unsaturated sulfonic acid and optionally an ethylenically unsaturated other monomer. Furthermore, the aqueous polymer dispersion obtainable from this process and a powder form thereof are disclosed. They are useful for a paper coating slip containing one of the aforementioned forms. A paper or a cardboard, which is coated with the paper coating slip, shows surface strength, which is expressed by a good dry pick resistance, a good wet pick resistance or good offset test results. The aqueous polymer dispersion or the powder form thereof is furthermore useful as a binder.

Provided is a coating composition capable of forming a coating film which exhibits excellent durability and is suitable for repair. It is a coating composition containing a resin component and a pigment, in which a linear expansion coefficient at a temperature equal to or less than a glass transition temperature of a nonvolatile component is 3.210.sup.5/K or less.

A PCM steel sheet for a home appliance and a refrigerator including the same. The PCM steel sheet may include a steel sheet, a basecoat layer provided on the steel sheet, a hairline layer formed on the basecoat layer, a clearcoat layer provided on the hairline layer, and a primer layer between the steel sheet and the basecoat layer to provide adhesion. The PCM steel sheet for a home appliance does not include a metal mesh layer. The PCM steel sheet for a home appliance may have a brightness (flop index) of about 20 or more.

An object achieved by the present invention is to provide a coated article having excellent appearance, corrosion resistance, weatherability, and chipping resistance obtained by a wet-on-wet coating. The present invention provides a method for forming a multilayer coating film comprising the steps of forming, on a substrate, an uncured coating film of a primer paint composition (A) containing an epoxy resin (a1) having a weight average molecular weight of 20000 or more and pigments, forming, on the uncured coating film, a top coating film of a top paint composition (B) containing an acrylic resin (b1) and the like, and simultaneously drying the films, wherein the uncured coating film of the primer paint composition (A) during application of the top paint composition (B) has a viscosity of 5 Pa.Math.s to 1000 Pa.Math.s, and the value ANV obtained by subtracting the value (NV1) of application mass solids content (%) of the primer paint composition (A) from the value (NV2) of mass solids content (%) of the uncured coating film of the primer paint composition (A) during the application of the top paint composition is 15 or more.