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The growing acceptance and use of encapsulated windows by domestic and foreign automobile manufacturers has led to increased desire for improvements in economics, production capabilities, and performance of these products. In-mold coatings have been shown to provide positive responses in each of these areas and, in particular, two-component urethane in-mold coatings offer great advantages in paint performance. This paper discusses the use of two-component urethane in-mold coatings for encapsulated windows with comparisons of the major technologies available in the areas of application, economics, and environmental concerns. Results of long-term exterior and accelerated exposure evaluations are presented to demonstrate the quality of finish which can be achieved with these coating systems.

Polyurethane RIM based on MDI requires the application of a surface coating in order to provide the appearance and exterior performance required to meet automotive specifications. In the case of encapsulated windows, an economical way of meeting these requirements is by the use of a two-component urethane finish which is applied in the mold. In this paper, coating application techniques and performance on the finished parts is discussed and also progress with the use of this coating on automotive windows, both in Europe and the United States, is reviewed, comparisons made with other approaches to the problem, and future developments discussed.