PVDF-Coated Aluminum Cladding

PVDF-coated aluminum cladding is made of aluminum alloy that has been coated with an anti-corrosion pretreatment, primer, and PVDF topcoat. Metal cladding may be offered in a number of metal types including steel, zinc, copper, and aluminum. Options for anti-corrosion treatments, primers, and topcoats are similarly numerous. This CP includes a chromate conversion pretreatment. Chromate treatments have historically used hazardous hexavalent chromium. Transparency is limited, and while trivalent chromium is available for some formulations, hexavalent chromium is still widely used. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) top coats are commonly used to achieve the AAMA 2605 standard for exterior coatings, though other coatings are offered and a selection are listed in the All Contents. PVDF resins typically rely on PFAS surfactants, or fluorosurfactants, to stabilize the resin emulsion. Even "fluorosurfactant-free" formulations may still use surfactants with fluorinated chemistry that meet the OECD definition of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS). Uncured PVDF coatings may also contain other additives such as rheology modifiers, UV stabilizers, dispersants, emulsifiers, and preservatives. Many, including certain PFAS, may be volatilized when the PVDF coatings are cured at high temps (i.e. 250C) and so are not present as Common Content in the cured material reported here. Some of these chemicals have been captured in the Process Chemistry tab. 

This CP describes a 0.032" aluminum panel with a two-coat finish system including a chromate conversion pretreatment, epoxy primer, and white PVDF topcoat. Related products such as insulated metal panels (IMPs), which have insulation backing, and metal composite materials, which have a polyethylene laminate, are outside the scope of this research though information has been included in the All Contents.