Bayer: Science For A Better Life - research - Self-healing automotive coating

Coating raw materials make scratches disappear

Self-healing automotive coating

Shining results: Dr. Markus Mechtel (r.) and laboratory manager Thomas Klimmasch evaluate a test coating.

It has long been said that the automobile is the apple of the Germans' eye. But the apple can quickly lose its shine: car wash brushes, bird droppings and saltwater are hard on the paint. With 2K-PUR Clear Coat, the researchers at Bayer MaterialScience Coatings Automotive have developed a coating which is especially resistant and can "heal" small scratches. Similar to candle wax, small blemishes flow back together all by themselves under the influence of heat.

Less solvent thanks to new PU components in the coating

But the new Bayer coating doesn’t just have amazing “self-healing powers”, it is also environmentally friendly. The components used in the polyurethane coating are significantly less viscous than those typically used before. This means that the automakers do not have to use as much solvent, which in turn benefits the environment. See the following article (PDF file) for the details of the process and to read about other objectives of the Bayer researchers.