Use of silicone to modify polyurethane properties

 
Polyurethane coatings possess excellent properties especially in mechanical and chemical resistance and are therefore used in a lot of high performance application. The use of silicones in combinations with polyurethane offers a new world of possibilities to push even further the usage of this class of polymer. The content of this paper will cover how to formulate silicones and polyurethane combinations to enhance their respective properties in coatings and additionally the use of silicone monomers to modify the polyurethane polymer backbone. The paper will cover the advantages and limitations of both methods. It will provide useful information about the properties expected from such combined polymers when they are formulated into a coating. Molecular and physical characterization of the synthesized coating polymers and pre-polymers will be presented.