Arctube BC 160 Basecoat for Monobloc Cans and Aluminium Bottles
Arctube BC 160 is a white, coloured or clear basecoat for monobloc aerosol cans and aluminium bottles, roller applied over the cured internal lining ahead of dry offset printing. It is specified for adhesion and hardness through the necking and shaping that follow the last bake.
Grade Arctube BC 160 | Range Tube, Aerosol and Aluminium Bottle Coatings | Technology Thermosetting basecoat for roller application, pigmented or clear
Technical Data Sheet
Arctube BC 160
Issue 2026.09
1. Product description
A white, coloured or clear basecoat for monobloc aerosol cans and aluminium bottles, applied over the cured internal lining and ahead of dry offset printing. It carries the decoration and sets opacity and colour, and in its clear and tinted forms it lets a brushed aluminium surface show through. It is specified for adhesion and hardness through the necking and shaping that follow the last bake, where the shoulder is compressed in many stages, and for colour retention through the ink and varnish bake. Too soft a film scuffs on conveyors and marks in the necker. Too brittle a film cracks at the shoulder and neck.
2. Features
- White, coloured, clear and tinted versions
- Clear and tinted versions let a brushed aluminium surface show through
- Holds adhesion through multi-stage necking and shaping after cure
- Colour retention through the ink and varnish bake
3. Recommended uses
External basecoat for decorated monobloc aerosol cans and impact-extruded aluminium bottles, plain or brushed.
Substrates. Monobloc aluminium aerosol cans and impact-extruded aluminium bottles, plain or brushed.
4. Typical properties
| Property | Typical value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Thermosetting basecoat for roller application, pigmented or clear | Formulation |
| Colour | White, coloured, clear or tinted to an agreed standard | Visual, ISO 3668, and instrumental CIELAB colour difference, ISO 11664-4 |
| Non-volatile content | 50 to 70 per cent by weight for white and coloured versions; clear and tinted versions as stated on the Certificate of Analysis | ISO 3251 |
| Supply viscosity | 200 to 3,000 mPa.s at 25 degrees C, according to grade and application unit | Rotational viscometer at a stated shear rate, ISO 3219-2 |
| Dry film thickness | 10 to 20 micrometres for white; 3 to 8 micrometres for clear or tinted | ISO 2808 |
| Adhesion | Cross-cut classification 0 to 1 on flat aluminium panels; no coating removal by tape on the formed container | ISO 2409 on panels; customer or supplier protocol on containers |
| Flexibility | No cracking or loss of adhesion on the conical mandrel on coated aluminium panel | ISO 6860 |
| Cure state | 50 to more than 100 methyl ethyl ketone double rubs without breakthrough, according to grade | ASTM D5402 |
| Colour retention | Colour after the ink and varnish bake within the tolerance agreed against the standard | Instrumental CIELAB colour difference, ISO 11664-4 |
| Hardness | Pencil hardness at or above the grade agreed at qualification, read after the full bake sequence | ISO 15184 |
Typical values, not a specification. Values for each batch are given on its Certificate of Analysis.
5. Application
| Parameter | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Application method | Roller coating with the container on a mandrel |
| Surface preparation | Container internally lined and cured; outside plain or brushed |
| Viscosity adjustment | Set within 200 to 3,000 mPa.s at 25 degrees C for the roller unit, using only the thinner Arctic specifies for the grade |
| Dry film thickness | 10 to 20 micrometres for white; 3 to 8 micrometres for clear or tinted |
| Cure schedule | Typically 5 to 10 min at about 140 to 200 degrees C metal temperature, set against the customer's oven with a traced temperature logger |
| Next step | Dry offset printing and overvarnish such as Arctube OV 110 or OV 220; necking and shaping follow the last bake |
| Qualification | Adhesion judged on formed containers after a trial on the customer's line; too soft a film scuffs and marks in the necker, too brittle a film cracks at shoulder and neck |
Process. Roller coated on a mandrel, typically 10 to 20 micrometres dry film for white and 3 to 8 micrometres for clear or tinted, cured typically 5 to 10 min at about 140 to 200 degrees C metal temperature, set against the customer’s oven. Necking follows the last bake, so adhesion is judged on formed containers after a trial on the customer’s line.
6. Storage and handling
Store in the original, tightly closed containers in a cool, dry, covered area, protected from frost, direct sunlight and heat, and homogenise before use to take up any settled pigment. Shelf life is stated on the label and Certificate of Analysis; handling guidance is given in the Safety Data Sheet, issued on request. Handle and use the product in line with its Safety Data Sheet.
7. Safety and regulatory information
Read the Safety Data Sheet before use. Safety Data Sheets and regulatory declarations are issued by our technical centre against the product and batch supplied, so they are sent on request rather than published. Request a Safety Data Sheet or declaration.
This Technical Data Sheet is published for on-screen reference. The information is given in good faith from laboratory and application experience and describes typical values; it is not a specification and does not replace a trial on your own substrate and line. Arctic Materials may revise this sheet without notice. Issue 2026.09.
Technical Data Sheets on this site are for on-screen viewing. For a controlled copy, write to tech@arcticmaterials.com.
Other grades in this range
Need a Safety Data Sheet, a regulatory declaration or a grade specified to your line? Contact our technical centre.