Preparation and Characterization of Waterborne Hyperbranched Polyurethane-Urea and Their Hybrid Coatings

Reconfiguration of Langmuir Monolayers of Thermo-Responsive Branched Ionic Polymers with LCST Transition

Thermo-responsive ionic polymers have the ability to form adaptive and switchable morphologies, which may offer enhanced control in energy storage and catalytic applications. Current thermo-responsive polymers are composed of covalently attached thermo-responsive moieties, restricting their mobility and global dynamic response. Here, we report the synthesis and assembly at the water-air interface of symmetric and asymmetric amphiphilic thermo-responsive branched polymers with weakly ionically bound arms of amine-terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) macro-cations. As we observed, symmetric branched polymers formed multimolecular nanosized micellar assemblies, whereas corresponding asymmetric polymers formed large, interconnected worm-like aggregates. Dramatic changes in localized and large-scale chemical composition confirmed the reversible adsorption and desorption of the mobile PNIPAM macro-cations below and above the low critical solution temperature (LCST) and their non-uniform redistribution within polymer monolayer. Increasing the temperature above LCST led to the formation of large interconnected micellar aggregates because of the micelle-centered aggregation of the hydrophobized PNIPAM macro-cationic terminal chains in the aqueous subphase. Overall, this work provides insights into the dynamic nature of the chemical composition of branched ionic polymers with weakly ionically bound thermo-responsive terminal chains and its effect on both morphology and local/surface chemistry of monolayers at LCST transition.

Preparation and Evaluation Mechanic Damping Properties of Fused Silica Powder@Polyurethane Urea/Cement Composites

In this paper, cement based on fused silica powder @ polyurethane urea (FSP@PUU) with a micro constrained damping structure was studied. Firstly, FSP@PUU core-shell particles were prepared by heterogeneous stepwise addition polymerization method and added into cement paste as damping filler to form a micro-constrained damping structure inside cement paste. The mechanical property and damping performance of cement-based composites were characterized by compressive strength, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) test and modal vibration test. The results showed that the damping performance of FSP @ PUU cement-based composites was affected by temperature, and the loss tangent of cement with 6wt% FSP@PUU increased to about 0.057 at −35 °C to 35 °C, which was 1.5 times cement paste within the glass transition temperature. With 6 wt% FSP@PUU, the damping ratio of cement-based composites increased by 58% compared with cement paste in the frequency range of 175–300 Hz, while the compressive strength decreased by only 5%. The cement with suitable FSP@PUU possesses excellent damping performance.

Effect of chain extenders with different functionalities on the properties of single-component waterborne polyurethane ink binders

Waterborne polyurethane (WPU) dispersions were prepared by post-chain extension and crosslinking reactions using 2-[(2-aminoethyl)-amino]ethyl sulfonic acid sodium (AAS), diethylenetriamine (DETA), triethylenetetramine (TETA) and AAS/DETA as post-chain extenders, and their influence on the properties of WPUs was studied. Results showed the introduction of trifunctional DETA chain extenders significantly improved the molecular weight, T-peel strength, and water resistance of WPUs, suggesting that DETA was an effective crosslinking agent. The WPU dispersions with a 2 : 3 molar ratio of AAS/DETA chain extenders exhibited excellent properties. At a molar ratio of 1.6 for NCO groups to OH groups, a stable WPU dispersion possessed higher solid content of 42.8%. Furthermore, only 4 wt% organic solvents were used in the preparation of WPU dispersions. Results revealed that the obtained WPU dispersions are a potential candidate for binders in water-based inks, without removing organic solvents. This study may provide some insight or guidance for the design and preparation of water-based ink binders.

Waterborne polyurethane (WPU) dispersions were prepared by post-chain extension and crosslinking reactions using different functional chain extenders. The influences of chain extenders type on the properties of WPUs were investigated.

Preparation of Polydimethylsiloxane-Modified Waterborne Polyurethane Coatings for Marine Applications

A series of waterborne polyurethane dispersions (WPUs) modified with hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were prepared by incorporating PDMS into the soft segments of polyurethane chains. The structural characteristics of the prepared samples were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and particle size analysis (PSA). The effect of PDMS content on the thermal and mechanical properties of PDMS-modified waterborne polyurethanes (PS-WPU) was investigated. In addition, the water resistance and dimensional stability of the PS-WPU were investigated by measuring its water absorption ratio and water contact angle along with universal testing machine measurements.

Biodegradable Polyurethanes Based on Castor Oil and Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate)

Biodegradable polyurethanes (PUs) were produced from castor oil (CO) and poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) diol (PHBD) using hexamethylene diisocyanate as a crosslinking agent. PHBDs of different molecular weights were synthesized through transesterification of bacterial PHB and ethylene glycol by changing the reaction time. The synthesized PHBDs were characterized in terms of Fourier transform infrared and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A series of PUs at different NCO/OH and CO/PHBD ratios were prepared. The resulting CO/PHBD-based PUs were then characterized in terms of mechanical and thermal properties. Increasing PHBD content significantly increased the tensile strength of CO/PHBD-based PUs by 300% compared to neat CO-based PU. CO/PHBD-based PUs synthetized from short chain PHBD exhibited higher tensile strength compared to those produced from long chain PHBD. As revealed by scanning electron microscopy analysis, such improvement in stiffness of the resulting PUs is due to the good compatibility between CO and PHBD. Increasing PHBD content also increased the crystallinity of the resulting PUs. In addition, higher degradation rates were obtained for CO/PHBD-based PUs synthetized from long chain PHBD compared to neat CO PU and PUs produced from short chain PHBD.

Advances in Waterborne Polyurethane-Based Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications

Polyurethane (PU) is one of the most popular synthetic elastomers and widely employed in biomedical fields owing to the excellent biocompatibility and hemocompatibility known today. In addition, PU is simply prepared and its mechanical properties such as durability, elasticity, elastomer-like character, fatigue resistance, compliance or tolerance in the body during the healing, can be mediated by modifying the chemical structure. Furthermore, modification of bulk and surface by incorporating biomolecules such as anticoagulant s or biorecognizable groups, or hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance is possible through altering chemical groups for PU structure. Such modifications have been designed to improve the acceptance of implant. For these reason, conventional solventborne (solvent-based) PUs have established the standard for high performance systems, and extensively used in medical devices such as dressings, tubing, antibacterial membrane , catheters to total artificial heart and blood contacting materials, etc. However, waterborne polyurethane (WPU) has been developed to improve the process of dissolving PU materials using toxic organic solvents, in which water is used as a dispersing solvent. The prepared WPU materials have many advantages, briefly (1) zero or very low levels of organic solvents, namely environmental-friendly (2) non-toxic, due to absence of isocyanate residues, and (3) good applicability caused by extensive structure/property diversity as well as an environment-friendly fabrication method resulting in increasing applicability. Therefore, WPUs are being in the spotlight as biomaterials used for biomedical applications . The purpose of this review is to introduce an environmental- friendly synthesis of WPU and consider the manufacturing process and application of WPU and/or WPU based nanocomposites as the viewpoint of biomaterials.

Novel Waterborne UV-Curable Hyperbranched Polyurethane Acrylate/Silica with Good Printability and Rheological Properties Applicable to Flexographic Ink

Novel waterborne UV-curable hyperbranched polyurethane acrylate/silica (HBWPUA/SiO₂) nanocomposites were prepared by a three-step procedure and sol-gel method. ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR results indicate that HBWPU is successfully synthesized. Surface tension and contact angle tests both demonstrate the good wettability of the nanocomposites. Besides, the kinetics of photopolymerization of HBWPUA/SiO₂ films were analyzed by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which reveals that the modified SiO₂ could accelerate the curing speed of HBWPUA coatings. Thermal gravity analysis indicates that the HBWPUA/SiO₂ hybrid films have a better thermal stability than the pure HBWPUA cured films. Furthermore, the hybrid films show enhanced pencil hardness, abrasion resistance, and adhesion. On the basis of the above, HBWPUA/SiO₂ nanocomposites were finally applied to waterborne UV-curing flexographic printing ink, which is printed on poly(ethylene terephthalate) and glass. The nanocomposite presents good rheological behavior because the ink has a lower Z ₀, a higher Z _∞, and the viscosity rebuild time is 375 s. Three colors (red, yellow, and blue) of ink were used to test its printing quality, the curing time was below 30 s, and the adhesion was excellent without being stripped. All of the inks show good water resistance and abrasion resistance. Moreover, the red and blue inks possess better solid densities than the value of 1.07 of yellow ink, and are 1.83 and 1.84, respectively. The current study suggests that the process has promise in applications of food packages.

Progress in polydimethylsiloxane-modified waterborne polyurethanes

Using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to modify waterborne polyurethane (WPU) has proved to be an effective and feasible way to improve some key properties of WPU.

Rheological and Mechanical Behavior of Silk Fibroin Reinforced Waterborne Polyurethane

Waterborne polyurethane (WPU) is a versatile and environment-friendly material with growing applications in both industry and academia. Silk fibroin (SF) is an attractive material known for its structural, biological and hemocompatible properties. The SF reinforced waterborne polyurethane (WPU) is a promising scaffold material for tissue engineering applications. In this work, we report synthesis and characterization of a novel nanocomposite using SF reinforced WPU. The rheological behaviors of WPU and WPU-SF dispersions with different solid contents were investigated with steady shear and dynamic oscillatory tests to evaluate the formation of the cross-linked gel structure. The average particle size and the zeta potential of WPU-SF dispersions with different SF content were examined at 25 °C to investigate the interaction between SF and WPU. FTIR, SEM, TEM and tensile testing were performed to study the effects of SF content on the structural morphology and mechanical properties of the resultant composite films. Experimental results revealed formation of gel network in the WPU dispersions at solid contents more than 17 wt %. The conjugate reaction between the WPU and SF as well as the hydrogen bond between them helped in dispersing the SF powder into the WPU matrix as small aggregates. Addition of SF to the WPU also improved the Young's modulus from 0.30 to 3.91 MPa, tensile strength from 0.56 to 8.94 MPa, and elongation at break from 1067% to 2480%, as SF was increased up to 5 wt %. Thus, significant strengthening and toughening can be achieved by introducing SF powder into the WPU formulations.

Research on the post-chain extension of aqueous polyurethane dispersions

The post-chain extension efficiency of APUDs were influenced by the particle size and the “cage effect” whatever the water or polyamine as the chain extender. The post-chain reaction mechanism: (a) small particle size; (b) big particle size.

Synthesis of a novel glycerol based B3-type monomer and its application in hyperbranched polyester urethane–urea coatings

Renewable based poly(urethane–urea) coatings with high thermal stability (T_g – 124.9) were prepared from hyperbranched polyester polyol with the degree of branching almost equal to 66%.

Synthesis and characterization of castor oil based hybrid polymers and their polyurethane–urea/silica coatings

Novel acrylated alkoxysilane castor oil with hydrolysable –Si–OCH₃ was synthesized via free radical copolymerization. This silane functional castor oil was further reacted with isocyanate to get isocyanate terminated silica hybrid polyurethane–urea prepolymer.

Synthesis and characterization of novel post-chain extension flame retardant waterborne polyurethane

Flame-retardant waterborne polyurethanes with a phosphorus-containing flame retardant diamine (AWPUs) were synthesized and characterized by the method of post-chain extension technology.

The influence of applied silica nanoparticles on a bio-renewable castor oil based polyurethane nanocomposite and its physicochemical properties

Bio-renewable castor oil polyurethane–silica nanocomposite films with improved thermal, surface and mechanical properties were prepared. These films find application in biomaterials development.