Co-cure process for autodeposition coating

A coated article comprising:

• at least one metal surface consisting of a steel surface having thereon a cured coating comprising:
• a first layer comprising an autodeposition coating, wherein polymer molecules in said autodeposition coating are selected from the group consisting of acrylic, polyurethane, epoxy and epoxy-acrylic hybrid polymers, deposited directly on the steel surface by an electroless chemical reaction of the steel surface with an autodeposition coating bath directly contacting the steel surface;
• and
• a second layer comprising paint or adhesive, different from the first layer, deposited directly on the first layer wherein the first layer was dewatered prior to deposition of the second layer, said deposition of the second layer following the dewatering without intervening steps,
• said cured coating comprising chemical bonds between the autodeposition coating and at least a portion of the second layer immediately adjacent to the autodeposition coating layer.

A process for treating an article comprising a substrate having at least one active metal surface comprising steps of:

• a) contacting a substrate having at least one active metal surface consisting of steel with an autodeposition liquid composition wherein the autodeposition liquid composition directly contacts the active metal surface, the autodeposition liquid composition comprising components:
• 1) at least 1.0%, based on the autodeposition liquid composition, of a component of dissolved, dispersed, or both dissolved and dispersed film forming polymer molecules;
• 2) optionally at least one emulsifier;
• 3) at least one dissolved accelerator component selected from the group consisting of acids, oxidizing agents, and complexing agents that are not part of immediately previously recited components (1) or (2), this accelerator component being sufficient in strength and amount to impart to the total autodepositing liquid composition an oxidation-reduction potential that is at least 100 mV more oxidizing than a standard hydrogen electrode;
• the pH of the autodeposition liquid composition being between about 1 and about 4, for a sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature to deposit an uncured autodeposition coating on said at least one active metal;
• with the proviso that film forming polymer molecules are selected from the group consisting of polymers and copolymers of acrylic, epoxy, polyurethane, phenol-formaldehyde condensation polymers, epoxy-acrylic hybrid polymer and mixtures thereof;
• b) rinsing with a rinse comprising water;
• c) dewatering the uncured autodeposition coating at a temperature of at least 100° C. for a duration of heating selected such that the uncured autodeposition coating remains substantially uncross-linked;
• d) following step c) without intervening steps, depositing an uncured paint layer directly on the uncured autodeposition coating;
• and
• e) co-curing the uncured autodeposition coating and uncured paint layer;
• wherein in step e) the uncured autodeposition coating and the uncured paint layer are co-cured to form on said at least one active metal surface a first layer of a cured autodeposition coating and a second layer of a cured paint, different from the first layer, such that the first and second layers have chemical bonds between the cured autodeposition coating and the cured paint at least immediately adjacent to the cured autodeposition coating.