Development of Soft Feel Coatings with Waterborne Polyurethanes

By Lichang Zhou, Bernard Koltisko

Soft feel coatings applied over plastic substrates are widely used in automotive interiors and consumer products. These coatings provide a luxurious look and leather-like texture to hard plastic surfaces. Traditionally, two-component solvent-­based polyurethanes have been used in these applications. In recent years, water­borne polyurethane formulations with lower volatile organic compounds have become the choice for soft feel coatings.

In this article, the development of soft feel coatings with waterborne polyurethane technology will be presented. The perform­ance of soft feel coatings based on waterborne polyisocyanates with polyester, acrylic polyols, and/or polyurethane dispersions will be discussed.