Inherent matt polyurethane dispersions as matting agent in waterbased floor coatings

 
Low gloss coatings have been gaining more and more interest in the recent years. Not only in wood coatings we can see this trend - even matt painted cars can be found in almost any manufacturers catalogue. In case of wood coatings, consumers like the more natural look of untreated wood over a glossy finish. A low glare coating is less distrubing to the eye, which is a true benefit in larger rooms. Because of that, oiled or wax treated surfaces gained a lot of market share due to their low gloss surface - however, they need a much more intense care and maintenance than most consumers realise, since oils or waxes don't form a protective film. A true matt varnish could offer the beauty of an oil / wax but providing more protection and less necessity for intensive care whilst resulting in the desired appearance. Unfortunately, coatings where the low gloss values have been obtained by extensive formulation are very often much more slippery. That makes it difficult to use them in public areas with a lot of traffic where a high coefficient of friction (CoF) is needed.