Smart PU hardeners - going to the extremes in functionality

 
Does a low viscous polyisocyanate contribute to elasticity? Can an aliphatic hardener make a PU coating dry significantly faster? Will a cross linker significantly influence adhesion? Is it possible to have faster drying and perfect adhesion of PU coatings triggered by the same smart molecule? PU cross linkers are known as versatile and efficient tools to crosslink coatings formulations, resulting in high performance coatings in many industries and end uses. However, the perceived role of the hardener itself often is limited to be an as-good-as-possible match to the polyol component - which on the other hand has the most significant impact on performance and processing. A series of innovative smart hardeners is highlighted in this paper; all of which will fundamentally question that perception, as they strongly trigger performance and thus add value to PU coatings.