Ultraviolet curing of electrocoating compositions

Claim 1

In a process for electrocoating a paint film onto an anode substrate dispersed within an aqueous electrocoating bath, the electrocoating composition being dispersed in water and comprising an ethylenically unsaturated polymer containing ethylenically unsaturated groups selected from acrylyl, acrylamide, and allyl, said ethylenically unsaturated polymer having a carboxylic group functionality and an acid number of at least about 20, said ethylenically unsaturated polymer being solubilized in water by reacting said polymer with at least about 1% by weight of a solubilizing derivative selected from aliphatic amines, aromatic amines, alkynolamines, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, and electrocoating said polymer onto the anode substrate to form a film thereon, the improvement comprising: reacting at least about 2% by weight of an ultraviolet sensitizer with said polymer to attach the ultraviolet sensitizer to the polymer structure, said ultraviolet sensitizer being reacted onto the polymer structure prior to the step of neutralizing the polymer and prior to dispersing the polymer into the electrocoating water bath; electrocoating said polymer containing the ultraviolet sensitizer connected to the polymer structure onto the anode substrate wherein the ultraviolet sensitizer remains tied to the polymer structure while electrocoating a polymeric film onto the anode substrate; and exposing said polymeric film to ultraviolet energy to activate the ultraviolet sensitizer connected to the polymer structure and cross-link the ethylenic unsaturation in the polymer structure to provide a cured paint film on the anode substrate.