Henkel proudly announces Aquence as the brand name of its innovative autodeposition coating technology. This water-based technology recently set new industry precedent by displacing conventional metal pretreatment and the electrocoat process for an entire automotive vehicle body.

Aquence branded coating technology, previously marketed under the Autophoretic name, is a chemical coating used in a process where an organic polymeric emulsion chemically deposits on the surface of a clean metal substrate. It is known as the "simple solution" because it reduces the number and complexity of stages involved in painting parts.

A unique feature of the autodeposition process is the formation of a uniform film over the entire surface of the work piece, even in difficult-to-reach areas. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) photos show a uniform, tight, autodeposited wet film before coalescence/curing, and consistent coating thickness around the edge of a razor blade. This allows the coating dispersion to flow into and around the most complex shapes. Unlike coating processes that require a charge to deposit the coating (i.e. where electrical energy is required to "throw" the coating into recessed areas) autodeposition will coat tubular, assembled, or intricate design areas uniformly.

Simplicity in coating process design and control are critical to providing value. Autophoretic coatings can improve the total value and productivity of manufacturing operations. It meets the stringent environmental requirements for today and tomorrow. Autophoretic Coating Chemicals or ACC is the brand name of Henkel Adhesive Technologies autodeposition process.

Examples from our excellent Aquence portfolio
Henkel's Autophoretic 866 coating is the global workhorse in the Aquence Technology Platform. In comparison to conventional functional coating processes, the PVDC based coating provides superior barrier protection while reducing the application equipment footprint by as much as 40 percent, lower process energy consumption, the elimination of heavy metal waste and volatile organic compounds emissions, and the improvement of inside-out corrosion performance.

Henkel's Aquence 925G is a recent addition to the product line. The Aquence 925G coating provides all the performance advantages of auto deposited epoxy-acrylic urethane coating with a lighter coat base for top coating with powder and liquid paints. Applications include any ferrous metal part or structure requiring superior cyclic corrosion protection, thermal stability and good topcoat ability. The ability of Aquence 925G to provide a lighter color primer base and precise film thickness offers the opportunity for lower paint consumption and better topcoat control.

Henkel's Aquence 930 coating is a new product for 2008 that will deliver enhanced corrosion performance for demanding applications like vehicle frames and chassis components. Aquence 930 has achieved 1,000 hours of performance during Neutral Salt Spray testing and performed similar to cathodic e-coat and zinc phosphate pre-treatment on automotive manufacturer cyclic corrosion tests. This epoxy-acrylic urethane coating has excellent thermal stability, top-coat ability and flexibility. Its "best in class" environmental footprint is further reduced with even lower volatile organic compounds and elimination of hazardous air pollutants.