Abstract:
An acidic aqueous coating composition containing an organic coating-forming material forms on a metallic surface immersed therein a coating, the weight or thickness of which is related to the time the surface is immersed in the composition. The coating composition, which tends to become unstable as a result of the build up of metal ions in the composition, is stabilized by removing the metal ions with an ion exchange material. Also, in maintaining stability, anionic and/or nonionic surfactants or dispersing agents, which are present in the composition to disperse the organic-coating forming material, are added to the composition in an amount in excess of that which is added to replenish the organic coating-forming material as it is consumed during use. Also, coating compositions treated with the ion exchange material tend to produce coatings which have a textured or grainy appearance. The texturing of coatings can be avoided by contacting the coating composition with the ion exchange material in the presence of a cationic surfactant or an amphoteric surfactant which has cationic properties in the acidic aqueous coating composition, or other material which maintains the relatively small particles of the organic coating-forming material in the composition.