The present invention relates to an aqueous polyurethane dispersion comprising: a polyurethane A having pendant acid salt groups and end-standing carbonyl groups, and optionally a multifunctional compound B having functional groups reactable with the carbonyl groups of polyurethane A. The present invention further relates to a method for producing said aqueous polyurethane dispersion and to a coating comprising said aqueous polyurethane dispersion.

A double-layer coating composition having improved sparkling effect, and a method of coating the same are provided. The composition includes a first coating, which reinforces the sparkling effect and contains a greater amount of Al particle; and a second coating, which reinforces chromaticity and contains a less amount of Al particle. The method includes applying a first coating on an article and applying a second coating thereon.

The present disclosure provides processes and systems for generating a coated article having a virtual embossing effect. A process comprises applying a wet layer of a coating composition on a substrate, the composition comprising a curable resin and a plurality of flake-form pigments; forming a pattern of the pigments in the wet layer; and curing the wet layer thereby forming a cured layer, wherein the formed pattern of the pigments is capable of remaining substantially unchanged after curing and results in a virtually embossed effect of the cured layer. A coating system comprises a substrate; a coating composition comprising a curable resin and a plurality of flake-forming pigments; means for applying a wet layer of the composition onto the substrate; means for forming a pattern of the pigments in the wet layer; and means for curing the wet layer to form a substantially cured layer. The cured article derived from the processes and systems preferably may have a substantially even surface.

A coating composition having excellent trickle resistance which forms a coating film that exhibits excellent gloss stability. The coating composition contains a hydroxyl group-containing acrylic resin (A), a polyisocyanate compound (B), a matting agent (C), an organic solvent (D1) and an organic solvent (D2), and wherein the organic solvent (D1) has a specified boiling point and solubility parameter; the organic solvent (D2) has a specified boiling point and solubility parameter; and with respect to the contents of the organic solvent (D1) and the organic solvent (D2) based on 100 parts by mass of the total solid content of the hydroxyl group-containing acrylic resin (A) and the polyisocyanate compound (B), the content of the organic solvent (D1) is within the range of 5-40 parts by mass and the content of the organic solvent (D2) is within the range of 35-75 parts by mass.

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide a multilayer coating film forming method by which a multilayer coating film having reduced nonuniformity and exhibiting excellent luster and high flip-flop properties can be formed. The present invention provides a multilayer coating film forming method characterized by including: applying an aqueous first colored paint (X) containing a color pigment (x1) and an effect pigment (x2) on an object to be coated to form a first colored coating film; applying an aqueous second colored paint (Y) containing a viscosity modifier (y1), a color pigment (y2), and an effect pigment (y3) to form a second colored coating film; applying a clear paint (Z) to form a clear coating film; and curing by heating, wherein a solid content of the aqueous second colored paint (Y) is in a range of 0.1 to 6 mass %, an average value of light transmittance of the second colored coating film is 1% or lower, and a difference |R(X)R(S)| between an average value of light reflectance of the first colored coating film and an average value of light reflectance of the multilayer coating film is 5% or lower.

An automobile body includes an article to be coated and a multilayer coating film. The multilayer coating film includes: a colored coating film formed on the article to be coated and containing a white pigment; a glitter coating film formed on the colored coating film and containing a glitter pigment; and a clear coating film formed on the glitter coating film. A lightness L*45 based on a spectral reflectance attained when light I.sub.45 applied at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to a surface of the multilayer coating film is received at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to regularly-reflected light is 70 or more and 90 or less.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a multilayer coating film, the method including sequentially applying a base coating, a glitter pigment dispersion, and a two-component clear coating on or above an electrodeposition coating film and then simultaneously curing these three coating films, in which the glitter pigment dispersion includes an aluminum flake pigment, titanium oxide, a hydroxy group-containing acrylic resin, a viscosity modifier, and water, a content of the titanium oxide is 10 mass % to 20 mass % of a total solid content of the glitter pigment dispersion, and a mass ratio of the aluminum flake pigment/the titanium oxide is 0.8 to 1.2.

A method for forming a multilayer film, including: a step (1) of applying an aqueous two-pack first colored coating material on an automobile outer panel to form an uncured first colored coating film; a step (2) of applying an aqueous one-pack white color coating material on the uncured first colored coating film to form an uncured white coating film; a step (3) of setting the uncured white coating film for 4 minutes or more such that a resultant coating film has a solid content of 50% by mass or more; a step (4) of applying an aqueous one-pack interference color coating material on the uncured white coating film having the solid content of 50% by mass or more to form an uncured interference color coating film; a step (5) of applying a solvent-based two-pack clear coating material on the uncured interference color coating film to form an uncured clear coating film; and a step (6) of heating the coating films formed in the steps (1) to (5) at a temperature of 75 C. or more and to 100 C. or less to simultaneously cure the coating films.