Investigating the antigraffiti properties of a polyurethane clearcoat containing a silicone polyacrylate additive

Abstract

In this study, a polyurethane clearcoat was modified using a silicone polyacrylate antigraffiti additive and its surface free energy and mechanical properties were evaluated by various analytical techniques. The results showed that surface free energy decreased by replacing the polyol resin with the additive up to 10 mol%. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) showed that the presence of the additive increased the storage modulus of the samples at ambient temperature. Evaluation of stainability of the coatings containing the additive revealed that a spray paint would be repelled from the surface showing a proper antigraffiti behavior. The additive did not affect the surface roughness of the films, indicating that the antigraffiti properties resulted from changes in surface chemistry due to migration of the additive to the surface.