Cerdec Corporation

Howard M Lindberg

David C Kapp

Overprintable thermoset decorating inks and methods of applying such inks to substrates are disclosed. The decorating inks include a reactive polymeric binder resin and a crystalline crosslinker. The reactive polymeric binder resin may comprise acrylics, epoxies, polyesters, urethanes and the like which possess high Tg values. The combination of high glass transition temperature resins and crystalline crosslinkers avoids the necessity of using diluents in the coating compositions. The coating composition is applied to a substrate by heating the composition to a first temperature below the curing temperature of the coating, applying the heated coating composition to the substrate, allowing the applied coating composition to cool sufficiently so it at least partially hardens, and heating the applied coating composition to a second temperature above the first temperature for a sufficient to cure the coating composition. In a preferred embodiment, at least one additional coating layer is applied to the initial cooled coating composition prior to the curing step.

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McKeesport, PA, United States of America

Howard M Lindberg