High-solids coating composition for improved rheology control containing organo-modified clay

An essentially solvent-based, organic, high-solids coating composition which is conventionally sprayable at a solids content of at least 40 percent by weight of the coating composition at which solids content said composition has No. 4 Ford Cup viscosity of less than 25 seconds at ambient temperature comprising:

• (A) a film-forming binder system containing a crosslinkable resin having a weight average molecular weight of from 300 to 15,000 and optionally a crosslinking agent for the crosslinkable resin;
• (B) an organo-modified clay produced from an organic cation, an organic anion and smectite-type clay, which organo-modified clay is stably dispersed in the coating composition;
• (C) a solvent system for the crosslinkable resin and the optional crosslinking agent;
• and
• (D) organic polymeric microparticles which are insoluble in the solvent system for the crosslinkable resin and which have a diameter in the range of from about 0.01 to about 10 microns;
• wherein the organo-modified clay plus the organic polymer microparticles are in an amount of from 0.5 percent to 30 percent by weight based on the sum of the weights of the crosslinkable resin, organo-modified clay, organic polymer microparticles, and when present the crosslinking agent;
• and the ratio of the weight of the organo-modified clay to the weight of the organic polymer microparticles ranges from 1:4 to 4:1.