Coatings containing branched polyester polyols as plasticizers

A coating composition comprising,

• (A) a physically curing, reactively self-curing and/or externally curing component, comprising, based on a total solids content of the component (A), from 0.1% by weight to 2.5% by weight of a branched polyester polyol, preparable by:
• (a) reacting a polyol comprising at least three hydroxyl groups with an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid having from 6 to 36 carbon atoms or an esterifiable derivative of the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of anhydrides of the esterifiable derivative of the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and esterifiable esters to form a hydroxyl-functional first intermediate product;
• (b) reacting the first intermediate product with a cyclic carboxylic acid anhydride to form a carboxylic acid-functional second intermediate product;
• and
• (c) reacting the second intermediate product with an epoxide-functional compound having one epoxide group to form the branched polyester polyol;
• and in case of component (A) being an externally curing component
• (B) a crosslinking component, in case component (A) comprises one or more externally curing components;
• and optionally,
• (C) a diluent component.