Megan Szakasits

Abstract

Traditional 3C2B paint systems rely on baked primer to cover or dampen a majority of texture structure that comes from steel and/or electrocoat. With the introduction of consolidated or compressed systems, we replaced the baked primer with paint layers that more resemble basecoat formulations where the principal concern is hold-out resistance and application robustness. Along the way, did we give up something in texture dampening? Do consolidated processes move the burden of final appearance to steel quality and e-coat smoothness?

Axalta is interested to survey appearance relative to the influence of steel, e-coat, primer (optional), and topcoat layers. More specifically we show the impact of each layer on the appearance of the next layer up. Measurement systems include confocal microscopy, phase stepped deflectometry, profilometry, and WaveScan techniques.

Biography

Megan Szakasits is currently a waterborne formulation scientist within the Axalta Research and Development group, located in Philadelphia, PA. She joined Axalta in November 2018, and her work has focused on development and characterization of high-performance coatings for automotive applications. Prior to working at Axalta, Megan obtained a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where she studied the relationship between microstructure, dynamics, and mechanical rheology of colloidal gels. In 2013, she earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University.