Effect of Particle Size Distribution on the Performance of Two-Component Water-Reducible Acrylic Polyurethane Coatings Using Tertiary Polyisocyanate Crosslinkers

By Denise E. Fiori, David A. Ley, Richard J. Quinn

A two-component waterborne polyurethane system with a 250 g/l VOC has been formulated to meet the performance requirements of the automotive refinish market. This paper discusses an experimental study to develop a two-component water-reducible polyurethane coating using a tertiary aliphatic polyisocyanate crosslinker with dry times, appearance, and reactivity equivalent to a two-component solventborne system.

The effects of acrylic polyol monomer composition, glass transition temperature (Tg), and hydroxyl concentration on drytime and ambient cure film performance have been determined. The effects of particle size distribution of the formulated coating on performance were examined.

It was found that smaller particle size provides overall improved film properties, i.e., faster dry time, increased hardness, and faster development of solvent resistance. The relationships of both acrylic polyol composition and formulation variables on the particle size distribution are discussed.