Preparation, Characterization, and Property Analysis of Environmentally Friendly Waterborne Polyurethane-Acrylate

Abstract

Waterborne polyurethane (WPU) prepolymer was first prepared based on isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polyether polyol (NJ-210), dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA), and hydroxyethyl methyl acrylate (HEMA) via an in situ method. A series of waterborne polyurethane-acrylate (WPUA) dispersions were obtained with different proportions of acrylate (butyl acryolate and ethyl acrylate) and initiating agent by in situ dispersion technique. The structures and thermal properties of prepared WPU and WPUA were analyzed and characterized with FT-IR, UV-vis spectroscopy, and DSC. Performance of the emulsion and film was studied by means of apparent viscosity, particle size and polydispersity, surface tension, and mechanical properties. The results indicated that the particle sizes of the WPUA dispersions were larger than those of the pure WPU and the solvent resistance and mechanical properties of WPUA films were improved over those of the WPU film. The film had the greatest hardness and the least water absorption when the BA:EA mass ratio was 50:50. The obtained WPUAs have great potential application such as coatings, leather finishing, adhesives, sealants, plastic coatings, and wood finishes.