Method for forming coating material formulations substantially comprised of a saturated resin rich phase

The method of producing and dispensing a coating material formulation containing a fluid diluent and a liquid coating composition, comprising:

• introducing a fluid diluent into a closed vessel;
• introducing a liquid coating composition into the closed vessel so that fluid diluent is absorbed within the liquid coating composition to produce a liquid coating composition rich phase and a fluid diluent rich phase;
• locating substantially all of the liquid coating composition rich phase in a first area of the closed vessel for transmission as a coating material formulation to at least one dispenser for deposition on a substrate, and locating substantially all of the fluid diluent rich phase in a second area of the closed vessel which is contiguous to the first area;
• controlling the level of liquid coating composition rich phase within the first area so that the liquid coating composition can be sufficiently exposed to fluid diluent in the course of movement through the second area to absorb fluid diluent and produce the liquid coating composition rich phase.

A method of producing and dispensing a coating material formulation containing a fluid diluent and a liquid coating composition, comprising:

• introducing a liquid coating composition into the interior of a vessel which is at least partially filled with pressurized fluid diluent;
• combining the liquid coating composition and fluid diluent within the vessel interior to form a liquid coating composition rich phase and a fluid diluent rich phase;
• locating substantially all of said liquid coating composition rich phase in one portion of said vessel, and substantially all of said fluid diluent rich phase in another portion of said vessel;
• transmitting a coating material formulation consisting substantially entirely of said liquid coating composition rich phase from said one portion of the vessel to at least one coating dispenser for deposition on a substrate.

A method of producing and dispensing a coating material formulation containing a fluid diluent and a liquid coating composition, comprising:

• introducing a fluid diluent under pressure into the interior of a vessel;
• introducing a liquid coating composition into the vessel for combination with the fluid diluent therein to produce a liquid coating composition rich phase and a fluid diluent rich phase;
• controlling the pressure and temperature in the vessel to obtain a desired ratio of fluid diluent and liquid coating composition within the substantially saturated, liquid coating composition rich phase;
• transmitting a coating material formulation consisting substantially entirely of said substantially saturated, liquid coating composition rich phase from the vessel to at least one coating dispenser for deposition on a substrate;
• detecting the level of said liquid coating composition rich phase within the interior of the vessel;
• and
• controlling the flow of liquid coating composition introduced into the vessel interior dependent on the level of said liquid coating composition rich phase detected therein.

The method of producing and dispensing at least two coating material formulations each containing a fluid diluent and a liquid coating composition, comprising:

• introducing at least two liquid coating compositions of different colors into separate vessels, each of which being at least partially filled with pressurized fluid diluent;
• combining one liquid coating composition and the fluid diluent within a first vessel to form a first liquid coating composition rich phase and a first fluid diluent rich phase therein, and combining the other liquid coating composition and the fluid diluent within a second vessel to form a second liquid coating composition rich phase and a second fluid diluent rich phase therein, each of said first and second liquid coating composition rich phases being located in one portion of the interior of their respective vessels and each of said first and second fluid diluent rich phases being located in another portion of the interior of their respective vessels;
• directing a first coating material formulation consisting substantially entirely of said first liquid coating composition rich phase from said first vessel to a color change manifold and likewise directing a second coating material formulation consisting substantially entirely of said second liquid coating composition rich phase from said second vessel to said color change manifold;
• and
• selecting at said color change, manifold which of said first or second coating material formulations to supply to one or more coating dispensers.

A method of producing and dispensing a coating material formulation containing a fluid diluent and a liquid coating composition, comprising:

• introducing a fluid diluent under pressure into the interior of a vessel;
• spraying atomized droplets of liquid coating composition from nozzle means into the interior of the vessel for combination with the fluid diluent to form a liquid coating composition rich phase and a fluid diluent rich phase therein;
• sensing the reduction of flow of liquid coating composition through said nozzle means into the vessel caused by clogging of said nozzle means, and in response thereto directing pressurized, fluid diluent rich phase out of the vessel in the reverse direction through said nozzle means to clear said nozzle means of the clogged condition;
• resuming the normal, unrestricted flow of liquid coating composition through said unclogged nozzle means into the vessel;
• and
• transmitting a coating material formulation consisting substantially entirely of said liquid coating composition rich phase from the vessel to at least one coating dispenser for deposition on a substrate.

A method of producing and dispensing a coating material formulation containing a fluid diluent and a liquid coating composition, comprising:

• (i) introducing a fluid diluent into the interior of a vessel;
• (ii) adjusting the temperature and pressure of the interior of the vessel to an initial setting for each;
• (iii) introducing a liquid coating composition into the interior of a vessel for combination with the fluid diluent therein to produce a liquid coating composition rich phase and a fluid diluent rich phase;
• (iv) transmitting a coating material formulation consisting substantially entirely of said liquid coating composition rich phase from the vessel to at least one coating dispenser for deposition in a spray pattern upon a substrate;
• (v) repeating steps (i)-(iv) while changing at least one of the pressure and temperature settings of the vessel;
• (iv) observing the temperature and pressure setting of the vessel when an optimum spray pattern is produced, and maintaining said temperature and pressure settings throughout an operating run.