A breakthrough in water-borne crosslinking

 
Crosslinkers which are easy to incorporate in formulations, are safe to handle and give good performance over a wide range of polymers and applications have been on the wish-list of paint formulators for many years. Polymeric aziridines will be highlighted as a new class of crosslinkers, which combine excellent coating performance with non-genotoxic behavior. Further advantages include ease of use and room temperature effectiveness with a pot life of many days. The safe character of these crosslinkers will get particular attention and data on extensive toxicity testing will be presented. Finally, tests in several applications will be shown to illustrate the diversity of market segments where this new technology may add value. Mechanical property development, speed of cure and crosslinker distribution after film formation will be discussed and illustrated with different analytical techniques.