Pretreatment system made for mixed-metal applications

PPG Industries’ industrial coatings business has introduced the Versabond™ pretreatment system, a kinetic-efficient zinc-phosphate pretreatment formulation that helps improve the corrosion resistance of mixed-metal substrates.

Based on proprietary hypernucleation technology, the system incorporates a rinse conditioner that causes small, densely packed zinc-phosphate crystals to deposit on mixed-metal substrates, accelerating bond formation with the coating, particularly on surfaces with high concentrations of aluminum. According to the manufacturer, the system supports lightweighting of trucks and passenger vehicles while reducing waste and energy use during production.

According to the company, the proprietary zinc-phosphate formulation precipitates onto metal surfaces about twice as fast as traditional zinc-phosphate products and produces a tight, lattice-like network of microcrystals.

Depending on the composition of the metal mix, the pretreatment system may process at temperatures up to 20 percent lower than those required for conventional zinc-phosphate formulations. It also extends average bath life from two weeks to eight weeks and generates 30 to 50 percent less sludge, says the company.