Preparation and Characterization of Waterborne Polyurethaneurea Composed of Dimer Fatty Acid Polyester Polyol

Abstract

A series of polyurethaneurea (PUU) aqueous dispersions, which were stable at ambient temperature for more than 1 year, were prepared with C 36‐dimer‐fatty‐acid‐based polyester polyol, isophorone diisocyanate, dimethylol propionic acid, and ethylenediamine. The particle size of all these PUU (DPU) aqueous dispersions (<100 nm) was less than that of comparable specimens, that is, poly‐(neopentyl glycol adipate) polyester‐polyol‐based PUU (APU) aqueous dispersions, and the polydispersity index was very narrow (≤1.13). The films prepared with the DPU aqueous dispersions exhibited excellent waterproof performance, such as low amount of water absorption (1.3 wt%), and good mechanical properties (hardness and tensile strength), resulting from the strong hydrogen bonding in urea carbonyl groups and the perfect ordered structure of hard segments compared with those prepared with the APU aqueous dispersions. The surface hydrophobicity of the films prepared with modified DPU aqueous dispersions, which were modified with a fluorinated polyacrylate emulsion, was excellent, as the water contact angle on the surface of such films rose up to 100. The mechanical properties of such modified DPU films were further enhanced.