Process for preparing precoat metals

A new process for preparing a precoat metal is provided. The process comprises coating a metallic substrate with an electrodeposit of a first radiation-curable composition, again coating it by physical means with a second radiation-curable composition, and finally curing the coating layers with electron beams. After cure, the precoat layers are tightly bonded to the metallic surface enough to give a highly workable precoat metal. In one example, the first composition was prepared by reacting 200 g of a 90/10 copolymer of Et acrylate and acrylic acid with 8.5 g of glycidyl methacrylate, mixing 70 parts thereof with 20 parts of polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate and 6 parts of stearyl methacrylate, and dispersing the mixture into water. A galvanized steel sheet was coated by electrodeposition with the dispersion and then coated with the second composition by a conventional method which was prepared by reacting 195 g of a 1.85/0.14 copolymer of Et acrylate and acrylic acid with 10 g of glycidyl methacrylate followed by mixing 50 parts thereof with 10 parts of polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 40 parts of cyclohexyl methacrylate and pigments. Upon irradiation with electron beams (5 Mrad) it cured to give colored galvanized steel of excellent workability having a high resistance to corrosion and weather. (Kaichi, S.)