Abstract
Love them or hate them, isocyanates are hard to beat. They make durable vehicle finishes that give new cars a shine that lasts for years. They also make industrial paints that are chemical resistant, flexible, and impervious to breakdown from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. When reacted with polyester or acrylic resins, isocyanates cross-link to form a polyurethane. In coatings systems that also include pigments and other additives, polyurethanes are the industry benchmark for high performance. But isocyanates have a dark side too. Reactive isocyanate oligomers are pulmonary and skin sensitizers until they fully cure, so they must be handled with care. Getting the most out of them often means that newly painted cars must cure in energy-hungry ovens. In addition, the oligomers are typically made with petrochemical raw materials in a hazardous phosgenation process that can hardly be called green. But coating materials suppliers are moving to put a kinder ...
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