Design of self-dispersible charged-polymer building blocks for waterborne PU dispersions

 
Waterborne polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) are of high interest due to their wide applications, namely in coatings and resins. Design block-copolymers can improve significantly their performance while using components which are safer, more efficient and/or more economic. This talk will address two types of design block-copolymers to illustrate their potential. First, self-dispersable PU prepolymers, which can be used in a new route for preparing PUDs, with good control over the prepolymer molecular weight and functionality distribution, which uses a significantly lower amount of isocyanates. Second, linear and branched associative thickeners, which provide enhanced stability and higher control over the rheological properties of waterbone PU binders.