The past few years have seen a significant uptick in the use of matte finishes by OE automotive designers as well as custom painters. Yet anyone charged with making refinish repairs knows that matte finishes differ given the range of low gloss levels used.
For example, there’s a flat black seen on LAMBORGHINI® and LEXUS® models. The low-gloss colors offered on MERCEDES-BENZ®, BMW® and FIAT® models have an “eggshell” luster. Plastic bumpers and cladding typically have satin or semi-gloss finishes—and by far are the most common in need of repair.
This is where PPG’s new ENVIROBASE® 2.1 Low VOC Matte and Semi-Gloss Clearcoat system comes in handy as painters are increasingly confronted with repairing a low-gloss finish. Comprised of two premium-quality 2K acrylic urethane products (EC5515 Matte and EC5517 Semi-Gloss clears), the system is designed to reproduce a range of gloss levels over Envirobase High Performance basecoat. Mixing formulas are available in five gloss levels: Flat, Matte, Eggshell, Satin and Semi-Gloss.
“Since these two clears can be used alone or mixed together, paint technicians will be able to precisely match a low-gloss finish, especially in cases where a vehicle’s finish doesn’t quite match the OE formula,” explains Nicole Sinclair, PPG brand manager, collision, automotive refinish. “Plus, the system offers the opportunity to create custom low-gloss finishes for those customers seeking to personalize their vehicles with matte accent finishes--a rising trend.”
The Envirobase 2.1 Low VOC Matte and Semi-Gloss Clearcoat system is available throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more details, contact your local PPG refinish distributor.
