Methylated Urea Formaldehyde Cross-Linking Agents in Aqueous Emulsions

Abstract

The trend toward tougher anti-pollution standards has had a tremendous impact on the coatings industry. In the recent past, research and development efforts have been directed toward new coatings or coating methods which can fill existing customer needs while eliminating the associated pollution problems. Much of that effort has been or is going into water based coatings. The principal advantages and disadvantages of water based coatings over conventional organic systems are tabulated below. In the past, the higher heat input and longer flash-off time generally required for water based coatings may have hindered the growth of these systems. In addition, water based systems were found to be slower curing. To overcome these drawbacks, new developments in polymer systems and cross-linking agents were needed. In the late 1960’s water soluble, fast-curing, partially methylated melamine resins were introduced and found immediate acceptance in water- and solvent-based systems. With the subsequent development of methylated urea formaldehyde cross-linking agents, however, even faster curing speeds are now obtainable.